Doctor Who Year One Hundred
by Blackadder VII
Summary: Before the Doctor was the Mad Man in a Box, the saviour of worlds and the Oncoming Storm; he was just a man. An idealist stuck on a corrupt Gallifrey, with dreams of other worlds. An then the impossible happens. Cover Image made and designed by the awesome BlueNeutrino!
1. Chapter 1

**Doctor Who Year One Hundred**

**Blurb: Before the Doctor was the Mad Man in a Box, the saviour of world and the Oncoming Storm; he was just a man. An idealist stuck on a corrupt Gallifrey, with dreams of other worlds. An then the impossible happens.**

**This is my way of celebrating the 50****th**** anniversary of Doctor Who, by releasing a sort of prequel story to Doctor Who. This story isn't really a origin thing, more of a fork in the road for the Doctor. So please enjoy!**

**Prologue**

The sea hammered the life pod like a small toddler having a tantrum. But the inside of the pod was well insulated against the harsh environment of the planet which was entirely covered by ocean. The pod was in the shape of silver can and inside two occupants waited for rescue. Both had survived the horrendous crash of the Battleship Merciless. One was young, in her early twenties with curly red hair and fun caring features. Her oil stained overalls attested she had been a apprentice engineer and had been lucky to escape the burning battleship with her life. The other was a stranger, a man with old eyes. He wore the weirdest apparel the Apprentice had ever seen. There was silence between the two for an age, both listening to the storm outside and feeling the motions of the ocean as it contended with the pod's kinetic stabilisation field. This continued until the pressure of their situation finally got to the apprentice engineer.

"Where are those rescue ships? Surely someone should have picked up distress beacon by now. I can't stand this waiting" screamed the Apprentice in desperation.

"What is your name" asked the Stranger?

"Phoebe" blurted Apprentice Engineer Phoebe!

"Well Phoebe how about a story to pass the time" asked the Stranger?

"Hah it would have to be a really good story to take my mind off this mess" said Phoebe sardonically.

The Stranger smiled.

"Oh yes, it is quite a tale. It has monsters, perilous situations and a lady in distress" commented the Stranger.

"Oh let me guess, it also has a dashing hero as well".

The Stranger snorted.

"Not quite, for the main character of this story it is just a beginning. He is yet to reach his full potential. This story marked a fork in the road, a turning point. For all the things that happen in his future, this adventure will be a trial by fire" explained the Stranger.

"Ok, it doesn't sound too bad" said Phoebe, curious.  
So the Stranger told his tale and Phoebe listened.

XXXX

This tale begins in an ordinary galaxy on an extraordinary planet of Gallifrey, where inhabitant had broken the tyrannical chains of magic and mysticism, ultimately replacing it with order and science. There labour in such arts bore early fruit and they learned the secrets of time. They became the first Time Lords and brought order to the Universe that laughed at the notion. Millions of years later there mantles began to decay with age and dust. Rather than guardians, the Lords became scholars dedicated to the study of the universe. There edict was to watch and never to interfere.

Under a bright orange sky of Gallifrey was the land of White Mountains. The sun was sliding behind the ridge, mist already gathered in pockets of shadow, which readied its chilly fingers to fetch up the valleys like an old phantom. Dozing in a darkening valley under the silver leaves of a Pandak Trees was a young male humanoid. Sleeping face up to the aged orange sun; the gentleman looked young; even by the standards of the short lived races. A pale face with a hawk like nose with angular features and jet black hair which was combed flat. The male was tall but slender, wearing the attire of an Edwardian gentleman. He lay in the brown grass, wearing a velvet vest with wing tip collar and cravat. His frock coat was folded into a pillow and was placed under his head. All his muscles were relaxed, dreaming of the things beyond his small world. The man was known by many names on this world. His cousins teasing named him Wormhole or Snail, while his friends at the Academy nicknamed him Theta Sigma. However this man was known infamously by most Galifreyans as the Doctor. Infamously because controversy and scandal seemed to follow in the Doctor's wake. He was known from his days at the Academy as a trickster and a troublemaker. His misdemeanours included skipping class to sticking his 4-Dimensional Tachyon Studies Tutor in a time loop, where he taught the same lesson for ten years. The Doctor awoke when twilight had taken hold of the forest and Pazithi Gallifreya, one of Gallifreys twin moons could be seem next to the setting sun. He sat up and stared at the Moon's coppery surface and for the umpteenth time, longing for more. The Doctor dreamed of other worlds, other places and times, somewhere beyond the boring Time Lord homeworld. Making his mind up to head home, the Doctor got to his feet. Wiping off grass from his tartan trousers, the Doctor started to head home. Breathing heavily, the Doctor absorbed the night air. Taking in the forest sounds as he strolled leisurely down a faint track in the trees. He got half way when an unnatural noise started echoing around the forest. A howling, which full of bloodlust, reverberated around the valley, driving fear into even the most fearless creature. The Doctor stopped, his eyes searching for the source of the noise. Four red eyes peered at him through the twilight grey. It opened its mouth to reveal a set of rotting fangs that gleamed yellow in the half light. The young Doctor stared in fear like a rabbit caught in the headlights. He couldn't move, the Time Lord was complete immobilized with fear. Out of thin air, a hand clasped hold of the Doctor's sweaty palm. The Doctor turned to the source of the hand and did a double take. The creature holding his hand was a woman, a Gallifreyan woman judging by the heightened double pulse the Doctor could feel through her hand. She was the most beautiful woman the Doctor had ever seen. Long luxurious brown hair which cascaded down to her shoulders, an lush green hawk eyes which seemed to see everything, not to mention a soft femineity which would draw the attention of most males. She wore a tight white dress with matching black boots. Before the Doctor could recover there was a loud stamping of feet as the four eyed mutation charged the pair of Gallifreyan's.

"Run" ordered the Lady!

She did it in such a commanding tone that the Doctor ran with the Lady as she bolted down the path. His hand still grasped tightly in hers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 01**

**Most of the concepts for this chapter were taken from Marc Platt's novel Doctor Who Lungbarrow and the Doctor Who TV series.**

**BlueNeutrino: I'm glad you liked my description of Gallifrey. The description had been something I had been developing in the back of my mind for a while. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 01 Great Expectations

Ordinary-General Quencessetianobayolocaturgra thadadeyyilungbarrowmas (short for Quences), 422nd Kithriarch of the House of Lungbarrow; slammed his fist against the Pandak wood desk. The force of the blow causing everything on his desk, from a ink quill to the rare Valdium bust of Rassilon to rise half a millimetre off the desk. The Gallifreyan was ancient in age as well as appearance. Like Quences himself, the office around him was a very dry affair, a circular room, which was surrounded by bookshelves which housed dust ridden books. Quences sat on a throne with his back to a window which looked out onto the mountain side and beyond. The focus of Quences rage was on the creature before him, an Avatroid named Badger. The creature was very unlike his namesake. He was bulky, at least seven feet tall with black serrated strips over cream coloured fur. It was a bear like creature with five fingers, a large purple vest and a pair of black horns.

"How could you let the Doctor out of you sight, I ordered you to keep an eye on him? Find him, or I'll have you melted down into slag" ordered Quences!

Badger hurriedly walked away, intent on his orders. While Quences sat, watching Badgers retreating figure, another person approached the House's Kithriarch. An old straight backed prudish woman, walked towards Quences desk with the military efficiency of a four star General.

"Satthaltrope, my loyal Housekeeper. What new havoc and chaos have you come to drop in my lap?", asked Quences, his grey eyes turning back to his paper on the desk.

"The only havoc and chaos in the House of Lungbarrow centres around your favourite Cousin; the Doctor" squalled Satthaltrope.

Quences continued to rifle through paper, he'd heard these complaints from Satthaltrope before.

"What amazes me is that you continue to dote upon the Doctor. The young fool is content to lie about and read inferior Alien literary texts. He continues to squander his talents and the gifts you continue to rain upon him. Now Cousin Glospin, he is worthy to become a Time Lord. Cunning and noble like the great Rassilon, an ideal successor to you as Kithriarch" cooed Satthaltrope.

This was too much for Quences; he would not be lectured to by this lowly hag. He was the Kithriarch not her. For the second time in so many minutes Quences slammed his fist down on the desk.

"Do not presume to question my will Housekeeper! I am your Kithriarch and you will obey my will. The reasons I support the Doctor not your pet Glospin are obvious even to someone as small minded as you. Before the Doctor was born I took his genetic template to the Matricians in the Capital. The Matrix predicted that the Doctor when he reaches his full might will be the most influential Time Lord since Rassilon. The Matrix is never wrong. Since the beginning of this House; the children of Lungbarrow were nothing but guardsmen and servants. But with the Doctor as a future president, Lungbarrow's fortunes will rise" boasted Quences.

Satthaltrope snorted.

"A fine notation honoured Kithriarch. The problem being, the Doctor is the living embodiment of trouble. He can't go a few minutes without causing it. He's always in trouble and that's unlikely to change" smirked Satthaltrope.

Satthaltrope didn't know how right she was.

XXXX

The Doctor and the Lady ran through the woods, the four legged beast chasing after them. To Doctor's surprise, the Lady stopped short in front of an old Pandak tree and started scaling the branches.

"Come on" said the Lady, beckoning the Doctor.

"I'm a Time Lord. Time Lord's do not climb trees" complained the Doctor, indigently.

The Lady pointed at the oncoming Monster.

"You'll be a dead Lord if you keep standing there" warned the Lady.

The Doctor looked behind him and the sight of the onrushing monster quickly changed his mind. He scrambled up the tree after the Lady. The monster charged low towards the tree, as the Doctor and the Lady scrambled to the top of the silver leafed Pandak tree. There was a large crack as the monster crashed into the tree. The tree wobbled but the strong trunk with its deep roots held. The four legged monstrosity tried to leap up and grab the two Galifreyans, the tips of its claws fell just short of the branches they stood on.

"Hrmmm, this is fascinating, quite fascinating indeed. The patchy fur, the ears and the glands all suggest that the monster below us is a mammalian lifeform but the multiple eyes, the scales on the underbelly and the long forked tongue are all characteristics of a reptile. Clearly this creature is a result of genetic manipulation, most likely through the use of chemicals" hypothesised the Doctor.

"Never mind that, how do we get rid of the damn thing? We can stay up here forever" demanded the Lady.

"Quite true, but before I use my superior intelligence to work a way out of this mess I believe that introductions are in order. I am the Doctor and you are" asked the Doctor.

"My name was lost in the mists of the ages, Doctor. But you may call me Artemis" said Artemis.

"The name of an Earth deity of the hunt, you wouldn't happen to have a bow and arrow with you" asked the Doctor?

Artemis frowned at him.

"No, I didn't think so. That would be too easy. Well by my reckoning, this mutant monster was obviously a white laboratory mouse once upon a time. A mouse can hear sounds on the ultrasonic levels. So logical certain low frequency sounds can hurt or scare away this mutant mouse monster. Gladly I have in my possession something that emits just sound" said the Doctor.

The Doctor reached into to his Edwardian coat and pulled out a silver pen like device, a cocky smile on his face.

"This Artemis is a Sonic Screwdriver" exclaimed the Doctor!

"Screwdriver isn't that a Sol 3 term for a device that loosens metal 'screws' from objects. So that device uses sonic emissions to loosen metal screws" reasoned Artemis?

"It will do a lot more than loosen metal screws when I'm finished tinkering with it. This is merely a prototype. In theory when I have finished the final model, this screwdriver could have an unlimited amount of uses. But for the moment this prototype can only assemble cabinets and pick the odd lock" stated the Doctor indignantly.

The mutant mouse wasn't acting idle while the Doctor and Artemis talked. It stalked circles around the tree, looking for an opportunity to strike. Its sharp claws carving marks into the Pandak tree as it watched the two figures in the tree, like a cat shadowing the canary's cage.

"Ah that is clever, you're going to attune your Sonic Screwdriver to those low frequency sounds and drive the creature away. Assuming of course your screwdriver can emit the correct frequency" commented Artemis.

"Yes, yes, yes of course I can. Watch this" said the Doctor, fiddling with a small dial at the end of the screwdriver.

The Doctor pointed the screwdriver at the mutant monster and pressed a small button on the side of the device. The end of the screwdriver lit up and an ultrasonic sound emitted from the tip. The mutant mouse let out a cry of pure hate and leapt at the Doctor, missing him by only an inch. The monsters talons may have missed the Doctor but they carved through the branch the Doctor was standing on like a sword through paper. Acting instinctively, the Doctor grabbed a hold of the branch above him and hung there as the branch he had been standing on fell to the ground.

"I think I've just made it really angry" said the rather bashful Doctor.


	3. Chapter 3

**Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 02**

**When writing this story I called upon a lot of Doctor Who material. In particular Doctor Who Death Comes to Time and Lungbarrow. I hope you enjoy some of the Easter Eggs I put in this chapter for my regular readers, kudos to those readers who pick up the references from Doctor Who and the ones to my other writings.**

**BlueNeutrino: The introduction of the prototype Sonic Screwdriver is just the beginning. I have a lot more surprise like that planned. I put some references in this chapter that you might appreciate J**

**Gess789: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you liked my writing. **

Chapter 02 Gravity

The Doctor hung from the tree branch, like the last cow carcass in the slaughterhouse. His hanging legs were an attractive target to the mutant mouse monster. It leapt again, keen to lock its sharp canines onto the Doctor's body and chew. At last minute the Doctor lifted his legs, narrowing missing the jaws of death. With a great deal of the effort, the Doctor managed to get his leg over the branch he was clutching and scrambled on top of it.

"Lucky Pandak trees have strong branches otherwise I may have been mouse food" panted the Doctor.

Artemis in the branch below scowled down at the rodent, who was currently clawing away at the tree trunk.

"Indeed, I'm sorry you had to become involved in this Doctor. This is not your fight" stated Artemis.

"What do you mean 'not my fight'? That mutant was hunting me, as well as you" complained the Doctor.

"Not you Doctor, me. That creature has been hunting me ever since I arrived back on Gallifrey" stated Artemis.

"What" exclaimed the Doctor!

Artemis turned her head and stared up at the Doctor, her eyes as old as time itself, boring holes into the Doctor's soul.

"This ends now" exclaimed Artemis.

Artemis leapt down from the tree with the grace of a gymnast. She landed in a crouch beside mouse monster. The monster stood bewildered for a moment, before letting out a snarl, filling the air with its hot rabid breath. Artemis stood and stared at the mutant mouse, daring it to kill her. The monster needed no encouragement it charged at her, putting all its energy into a tackle that would take Artemis to the ground. But before the Monster could lay a claw on Artemis, she dodged out of the Monsters way and it could do nothing but thrash at empty air. Unable to stop the leap in mid-air, the monster flew through the air and crash into the trunk of a nearby Pandak tree. Despite it's the earth shattering collision with a tree, the monster picked itself up and howled. Artemis smirked and raising her arm to make a beckoning gesture with her hand. The mutant mouse roared a blood curdling cry that seemed to shake the forest around them. It charged becoming a black streak heading right for Artemis. At the last moment Artemis stepped out of the way of the charging monster's path. The Doctor from his high perch marvelled at Artemis, she seemed to know exactly where monster was going to be before the creature made its charge. The mutant mouse again it tried to stop its momentum but slammed into the trunk of another tree. The monster got up charged again, again and again. Each time Artemis was a step ahead and each time the Monster slammed into a tree. Until the mutant mouse gave up and left, running from the frightening woman with the ancient eyes. The Doctor climbed down from the tree and gave Artemis a round of applause.

"I must say that was impressive to say the least. How did you do that, move faster than that savage beast" asked the Doctor, his curiosity peaked?

Artemis smiled something warm and genuine.

"I have forgotten the curiosity of the young" humoured Artemis.

The Doctor straightened and brushed some silver leafs from his coat.

"I'll have you know that I'm one hundred and three. In some people's eyes I'm positively ancient" pronounced the Doctor.

"Maybe to the residents of Sol 3 but on Gallifrey your still a baby" teased Artemis.

The Doctor snorted.

"A baby, I resent that. I've had enough of ancient old men calling me a child. I didn't take it from them and I won't take it from you. You're avoiding my question" demanded the Doctor, obtusely.

Artemis sighed, the impatience of the young.

"Life has patterns that can be exploited for those who know how. The movements of a creature as simple as a mouse are easy to predict" answered Artemis.

"Hah poppycock, life itself doesn't follow rules. Sure there are some things that can be predicted but others are dictated by chaos" snubbed the Doctor.

Artemis shook her head.

"What do they teach you at the Academy? Just because you do not see an order to things does not mean an order does not exist" stated Artemis.

"But-" started the Doctor, but Artemis interrupted him.

"What do you know about gravity? Such a simple thing" questioned Artemis?

"It is the force of attraction" replied the Doctor carefully.

"An who made it? Who made that force that makes one body attract another" asked Artemis?

"No one, it's a natural force of the universe" said the Doctor.

"What is gravity, what is its substance" demanded Artemis?

"Gravity has no substance" answered the Doctor.

"It has no substance, it is not a physical thing but yet it exists. It has no substance but is far more powerful than any weapon, any planet and any sun. It is the prime mover, the cause of all things. It is the deep sublime intelligence of the universe. An where there is intelligence, there is a pattern, where there's a pattern there is predictably. Once you acknowledge this, you can predict the movements of the universe" stated Artemis.

"How" asked the Doctor, in awe?

"Where people see the bird, you must see the flock" answered Artemis.

The two Galifreyans stood in silences, listening to the normal noises of the forest as Pazithi Gallifreya filled it with sliver light.

"Where are you heading" asked the Doctor?

"The Capitol" said Artemis.

"Why the Capitol, just who are you Artemis" questioned the Doctor?

"I can't tell you that" hedged Artemis.

The Doctor knew if he pushed her for answers she would never give them. The best tactic would be to stay with her and Artemis herself would lead him to the truth.

"It is too late to walk all the way to the Capitol. Come to my House and you can transmat straight to the Capitol from there" invited the Doctor?

"That is agreeable, which way" asked Artemis?

The Doctor gestured north.

"This way Madam, it isn't far"

They were about to leave when the Doctor stopped and walked over to the tree where the mouse mutant had smashed its head. There was a little bit of red blood staining the trunk. The Doctor reached into his coat and removed a couple of items from the pockets. One was a clear plastic test tube and the other was an item that Artemis recognized as a pen knife. The Doctor expertly used the pen knife to scrape a bit of blood into the test tube before proceeding to replace the items back in his pockets.

"I know a really good biochemist, who would love to get a sample of this DNA. She's one of the best on Gallifrey if a bit amoral. I can have her analysis the DNA and help us discover that mutant mouse's creator"

XXXX

Fifteen minutes later the Doctor and Artemis were walking up a steep path towards the House of Lungbarrow. It was a tall imposing bricked manor house, dotted with circle windows and gothic like towers.

"Lungbarrow isn't your house part of the Prydonian chapter" asked Artemis?

"Yes, quite" replied the Doctor, tersely.

Wanting to change the subject the Doctor pointed below the high ridge to a river far below.

"That is the Cadonflood River; I used to swim there when I was a Time tot with my Cousin Innocent, until my old Housekeeper put her foot down. The ridge we are standing on is the side of Mount Lung, not much of mountain really, not nearly as tall as Mount Cadon in the east. They say Cadon's tall enough to touch the transduction barriers" informed the Doctor.

"Is the Academy still located on Mount Cadon" asked Artemis, conversational.

The Doctor snorted in derision.

"The Academy has been up there for eons. Even an avalanche couldn't knock it down from its icy peak. The Teachers there let out more hot air than the Cardinals in the Panopticon. Although it did have its redeeming features, Tutors like Borusa and Azmael, some of the friends I made while I was a student and a mentor" reminisced the Doctor.

"Who was your mentor" asked Artemis?

"A wise old Hermit who lived on the top of Mount Cadon, I was thirty nine when I found his hut near the mountains summit. He used to tell me the most wonderful stories. Stories of the Great Vampires, the Toclafane, Zagreus and the Legion of the Sphinx and also of Gallifrey's greatest heroes; Rasslion, Omega and Salayvin. There were other tales that gave me the most horrible nightmares, such as tales of metal men, horrible mutants imprisoned in polycarbide armor, of the Fendahl and the Grandfather Paradox. The Hermit also taught me many things. He helped me during some of the lowest points of my life. He was a rare thing on Gallifrey, he was a good man. It's a shame he had to leave" explained the Doctor.

Artemis was about to inquire the fate of the Doctor's mentor but was interrupted by their arrival at the front door. The oak double doors of the house flew open of their own accord and behind the threshold stood a rather large furry creature.

"Good evening Doctor, I have been ordered to search for you" greeted Badger.

The Doctor gave an indulgent smile, walking up to Badger and giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder.

"Badger this is Artemis, she's our guest. Artemis, this is Badger; he is my first best friend" introduced the Doctor, with a friendly grin.

"Sir, Master Quences wishes to speak to you" said Badger.

The Doctor sighed.

"Of course he does. Badger take Artemis up to my room, I'll go talk to Quences" instructed the Doctor.

The Doctor turned to Artemis.

"You better go with Badger. The sight of a guest in the House would give my Great Uncle a double heart attack. He's on his thirteenth regeneration, so Quences can't afford one of those. I shall not be long" said the Doctor.

Artemis nodded reluctantly. The Doctor waved and strolled into the house. Badger looked mournfully down at Artemis.

"If you would follow me ma'am" asked Badger politely.

Artemis followed Badger past the threshold and into the House.

XXXX

After walking through a maze of wooden panel corridors Badger lead Artemis into a white marble windowless room. The floor was covered in a synthetic Earth style carpet with a low coffee table at the centre of the room which was surrounded by comfy armchairs and red couches. Books seemed to be everywhere. Stacked on the coffee table and packed unevenly into book shelves. At the end of the room was a marble fire place, above the mantle hung a portrait of a heroic statuesque individual. The label said 'Omega'. Artemis snorted; Omega was never that good looking.

"Would you like refreshment? We have wine of every vintage in the galaxy. Or perhaps some of the Doctor's favoured drink. I believe it is called tea" queried Badger.

Artemis, who was examining a small globe of the planet Earth, turned back to Badger.

"No thank you Badger that will be all" dismissed Artemis.

"Very good ma'am" said Badger.

Badger slipped out of the room, leaving Artemis alone. She sat down in one of the comfy armchairs. She glanced down at some of the books on the coffee table and marvelled at the variety. The Time Machine by H.G Wells, the electronic guide book Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Sharpe: A History of Britain's Greatest Soldier by Bernard Cornwell, Chuck: from Nerd Herd to Super Spy by Charles Carmichael, Naked Heat by Richard Castle and Man, Two Hearts One Mind by Professor Bernice Summerfield were just the titles that littered the top level of the books that piled the coffee table. For the first time Artemis wondered about her new friend the Doctor. Doctor Who? If she just had his name then she might have a clue.


	4. Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 03

**Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 03**

**I am afraid I got rather carried away with this chapter. It twice the size of any chapter I have ever done before. So please enjoy.**

**BlueNeutrino: Thank you as always for the delightful review. It was worth the wait.**

**Annon: Thank you for taking the time to review this story! I am glad you like my story so far and hope you will enjoy this latest update.**

Chapter 03 Out of the Frying pan into the Fire

Quences eyes like homing missiles locked onto the Doctor as soon as he strolled into the study.

"If it was anyone else dear nephew, then the stunt you pulled today might have been amusing. But I am not amused" said Quences.

The Doctor stopped in front of Quences desk and stared at his great uncle, belligerently.

"I don't see why I had to stay and mingle with people I have never met and are reputed to be some of the most boring old drones to have ever graced the Panopticon. Quite a feat considering the Panopticon is filled with old men who pride themselves on being boring and dull" scorned the Doctor.

Before the Doctor was loomed, Quences had never considered himself a violent individual but the Doctor always had a way of trying his patience. For the third time in one day, Quences slammed his fist into the desk.

"They were the three of the most influential Time Lords on Gallifrey. A successful political campaign into the higher seats of the Panopticon would have been assured with their support. A prospect now made impossible. Powerful and influential men do not like to be snubbed by Junior Time Lords, especially those who only just managed to scrap through the Academy with only 51% on your second attempt" Quences berated.

"I never wanted to be a part of your political machinations Uncle. I refuse to be a part of a regime of dusty old Time Lords. We have so much power, but all we ever do is watch. There is so much out there to explore. Worlds entirely made of diamond, caves made of ice and constellations that are more beautiful than life itself" announced the Doctor.

"So you would run away, from your duty to this House and your planet. What happened to you Doctor? You wanted this. You and those friends of yours had your own political machinations. You went from future leader of Gallifrey to idealist lay about. So enlighten me, what changed" questioned Quences?

All the fight immediately left the Doctor. A sorrowful look appeared on his face as he turned and left the room.

"DOCTOR, I am not done with you" demanded Quences!

The Doctor did not turn back.

XXXX

Lost in his memories, the Doctor walked into his room. Artemis immediately noticed the Doctor's sorrow for what it was. Grief, simply and unadulterated grief for a friend or family member the Doctor had lost. Artemis walked up to the Doctor and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Is everything alright my friend" asked Artemis?

"Hrmmm" muttered the Doctor.

He shook his head and woke up from his revere.

"Sorry I was lost in my thoughts. Where were we Hrmmm... That's right, transmat to the Capitol. Come on" said the Doctor.

All trace of melancholy gone, the Doctor grabbed Artemis's hand and led her out of the room.

Immediately after leaving the Doctor's room, they were confronted by an irate Satthaltrope. The old woman pointed a withered finger at the Doctor.

"Where are you going and who is she" demanded Satthaltrope?

"Errr, she is a friend, who just so happens to be a girl. I can't stay to talk I'm afraid, must dash. Me and my friend here have a very important appointment at the Capitol" said the Doctor, dismissing the Housekeeper.

"You will not leave" ordered Satthaltrope.

"There is no reasoning with her when she's like this" said the Doctor.

Turning away from Satthaltrope, the Doctor led Artemis down the dark wooden panelled corridor.

"DOCTOR" screamed Satthaltrope!

The House trembled and shook as if there was an earthquake.

"Ah, I believe this is when we RUN" screamed the Doctor.

Artemis followed the Doctor through a maze of corridors, sitting rooms, living rooms and a bathroom. All the while the House of Lungbarrow trembled around them. As they ran down one corridor, there exit was block by an oak bookshelf. The Doctor and Artemis turned back to down the corridor to see there other exit blocked by a leather couch.

"What's with this House" exclaimed Artemis!

"It's Satthaltrope. As Housekeeper, she has a telepathic link with the House. It's rather similar to the one between a Time Lord and a TARDIS but stronger. If she gets angry then the House get angry. Unfortunately, that ultimately applies to the furniture" explained the Doctor.

The couch and the bookshelf advanced from both ends of the corridor, threatening to squish them. The Doctor suddenly was struck with an idea.

"Quick, we can through the kitchens" said the Doctor.

He ran to a door nearest to them and opened it. On seeing what was on the other side of the door, the Doctor's eyes widened. Before Artemis could see too, the Doctor slammed the door. This was a second before the door in question, was hit by a shower of objects which thudded against the oak in a quick succession.

"We do not want to go in there. Too many sharp cooking utensils" exclaimed the Doctor!

The Doctor was about to give up, when there was a large tearing noise. The bookshelf was turned to splinters, by Badger's fearsome claws.

"Sir, I advise you evacuate the House. It appears Housekeeper Satthaltrope is in a temper and it seems to have centred on you and your guest" said Badger.

The Doctor didn't waste any time. He and Artemis sprinted down the corridor, stopping only to give Badger a friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Thank you Badger, keep my room in one piece while I'm gone" said the Doctor, before continuing his sprint to the Transmat room.

Half way through a sitting room, Artemis managed to pant out a question.

"Won't you get in trouble for running away?"

"Oh, I hope so. If I am lucky, Quences will disown me" the Doctor panted back.

"You sound pleased" accused Artemis.

"Of course I am. I've been trying to get out from under Quences influence for years. The House of Lungbarrow is full of very venomous vipers, all of which would love nothing better to see me fall into disgrace. Well not all of them, there is one exception. Innocent always looked out for me" explained the Doctor, as they ran.

The Doctor led Artemis south, under an archway and into a room with a pedestal and a computer console at the center. Artemis and the Doctor jumped up onto the transmat pedestal.

"We need to program the destination" demanded Artemis.

There were echoes in the corridor beyond. The house shook as the furniture tramped towards the transmat room, out for blood.

"No need. I have the Sonic Screwdriver" said the Doctor.

The Doctor pulled out the silver screwdriver and pointed at the control console, but nothing happened.

"Oh drat, out of power. I really must get around to installing longer lasting batteries" complained the Doctor.

To Artemis's horror, a pair of red stools and large cushion appeared in the doorway and they continued to crawl towards them.

"What now genius? We can't reach the console before those pieces of furniture clobber us to death" said Artemis.

"Hrmmm, plan B perhaps" murmured the Doctor.

Replacing the screwdriver in his pocket, the Doctor reached into his other pocket and pulled out a red ball.

"That better be a grenade" demanded Artemis.

The Doctor frowned with disapproval.

"Of course not, why would I carry such paraphernalia? It's a cricket ball" said the Doctor.

With a quick over handed throw, the Doctor lobbed the cricket ball at the control console. It smashed right into the activation lever, push it down. There was a hum as the pedestal came to life. In a flash of blinding white light, the Doctor and Artemis evaporated into thin air.

The Doctor and Artemis reappeared in a silver court yard.

"Hrmm yes, this is most definitely the Capitol. Right in the heart of the Citadel" surmised the Doctor.

"That's a relief. For a moment I thought we would be mauled to death by your furniture" said Artemis.

Artemis stepped down from the transmat pedestal, and was welcomed by loud alarm. The alarm echoed throughout the Citadel of the Time Lords. It was followed by the stomping of military boots. Before the Doctor and Artemis knew it, they were surrounded by the red uniformed Chancellery Guards. Each one of them was armed with a Staser, which they had aimed at the pair. Both Artemis and the Doctor raised their hands in surrender.

"I believe the Earth saying 'out of the Frying pan into the Fire' seems appropriate at this junction" murmured Artemis.

"Yes, very fitting" confirmed the Doctor.

XXXX

The Doctor spent the entire night in an interrogation cell, separate from Artemis. Not that it meant much to a Time Lord. The Doctor never really needed sleep and he was always in the habit of keeping pieces of literacy in his coat pockets. When someone finally arrived to see him, the Doctor was sitting at a table, laid back in his seat, reading a 1964 edition of the British TV comic, a smile on his face. The smile faded from the Doctor's face when he saw the person who entered his interrogation cell. An ordinary looking man wearing black and white robes

"My,my, look what the cat dragged in. So Vansell, still working for the Celestial Intervention Agency" questioned the Doctor?

Vansell sneered down at the Doctor.

"Actually it is First Agent Vansell now" boasted Vansell.

"Oh, so that is the payment for betrayal these days" snapped the Doctor, angrily.

The Doctor and Vansell were once friends and had been a part of the same group of elite Time Lords at the Academy; the Deca. But over twenty years ago Vansell betrayed the Doctor's activities and plans to the Time Lords. Borusa himself had berated the Doctor for his arrogance and forced him to repeat his term at the Academy. Vansell had gotten a cosy job at the CIA while the Doctor had to repeated his time at the Academy.

"I can see you still holding a grudge Doctor. I was simply doing my duty to Gallifrey, nothing more" commented Vansell.

"We were friends Vansell. Did that mean anything to you" questioned the Doctor?

"Spare me the friendship lecture Doctor. Your hypocrisy is only equal to your arrogance. Just because you have a gift of intelligence, doesn't give you the right to break Time Lord Law. Friendship will not save you" snapped Vansell.

Another person entered the cell, this one wearing black robes and a matching skull cap.

"That remains to be seen Vansell" grinned the black robed man.

Vansell snorted.

"Of course you'd come to the Doctor defence. Like a snivelling pup, in need of its master" scorned Vansell.

"That is very rich coming from the man who has been brown nosing the CIA since his Academy days" the black robed man shot back.

The Doctor leapt to his feet, rushed over and took the black robed man's hand in a friendly greeting.

"Koschei, old chap. It has been a while" greeted the Doctor, smiling warmly.

"Too long, old friend" grinned Koschei.

"You've grown a beard! I don't like it. Have you been taking fashion tips from Magnus again" asked the Doctor, sarcastically.

Koschei chuckled, warmly and stroked his black goatee.

"People tend to take me more seriously. Compared to wearing the clothes of a primitive culture" said Koschei.

Deliberately staring down at the Doctor's frock coat and checked trousers.

"True, but these clothes feel comfortable. You know, when you received your Master's degree in Cosmic Science, I thought you'd become a Professor not Castilian" commented the Doctor.

"It was too predictable for my taste Doctor. I prefer a little bit more chaos in my world" joked Koschei.

The Doctor grinned.

"Those were the days" said the Doctor.

Vansell sighed.

"May I remind you Castellian, this is an interrogation not an Academy reunion. We are not here for the sense of nostalgia" reprimanded Vansell.

The Doctor sat back down and stared indignantly at Vansell.

"Why am I being interrogated, like a little boy who stole some sweets? Not even the CIA can hold a Time Lord without charge" demanded the Doctor.

That was when another Time Lord entered the room, wearing dark burgundy robes and high collar of a senior Cardinal of the Inner Council. The Doctor recognized the infamous face of Cardinal Zero. Zero's political career was infamous in the eyes of Gallifrey. He had risen to power 100,000 years ago, riding on the coat tails of the charismatic President Morbius. When Morbius had been branded a traitor and exiled from Gallifrey, Zero lost a powerfully ally. His rise through politics had stopped dead in the water, at the rank of Cardinal. Zero was the oldest Time Lord with the mantle of Cardinal, mainly because everybody was terrified of him. He was a tall and imposing figure of absolute authority. Bald with with papery skin and a black cloth covering up his left empty eye socket. His single working eye was cold dead like a drowned man. Instead of ears, Cardinal Zero had small hole at each end of his skull; where his ears should be. Zero's appearance was from an inexplicable failed regeneration, 2,000 year ago. Zero walked over to the interrogation table and sat in the fourth chair.

"You are here Doctor, because you have been consorting with a wanted Criminal. The Renegade known as Artemis has been found guilty of multiple heinous crimes against Gallifrey" answered Zero.

Recovering from Cardinal Zero's abrupt entrance, the Doctor managed to look scandalized.

"What did she do? Smudge the chalice of Rassilion? Break the decorative vase of Rassilion" scoffed the Doctor?

"No Doctor, your friend Artemis has been charged with treason against the Time Lords, breaking the laws of time and the theft of several Time Capsules" stated Vansell.

"Pedantic Poppycock, the crime of treason is a jumped up charge that the High Council uses to eliminate people they don't like and the Laws of Time are sterile old laws that are enforced at the Time Lords leisure" the Doctor scoffed.

"How typical of you college. The Prydonians are a bunch of renegades, lunatics and ingrates. You think Gallifrey owes you everything and you Doctor are the most insolent of them all" snapped Cardinal Zero.

The Doctor gave Zero a mild look.

"Isn't our great lustrous President, a Prydonian" retorted the Doctor.

This only seemed to infuriate the Cardinal further.

"Doctor, whatever our opinions, the President isn't the one in trouble right now. You are" reminded Koschei, before Zero could let loose his anger.

The Doctor gave a knowing smile.

"You expect me to believe that one Renegade, no matter how notorious would not catch the attention of all three of you. That is Koschei's duty as Castilian is to catch and interrogate criminals, not the CIA or a senior Cardinal. So spill the beans, what is really going on" questioned the Doctor?

There was a moment guilty silence which was broken by Koschei.

"We should tell him your Grace. The Doctor is meddlesome at the best of times. His curiosity would soon lead him to work it all out for himself. By telling him now we could gain the benefit of the Doctor's knowledge" Koschei recommended to Zero, before turning back to the Doctor and giving him a wink.

Vansell snorted.

"The Doctor is a prisoner, not a Council adviser" objected Vansell.

Cardinal Zero considered and then gave a reluctant nod to Koschei. Taking that as Zero's assent, Koschei pressed a set of buttons on his side of the grey table. The lights dimmed and a 3D hologramatic image appeared at the centre of the table. The image was of the Citadel of the Time Lords; shining snow covered mountain side. In the sky above the domed Citadel was an object that should not be there. It was a giant structure, larger than the Citadel and was made of a white substance. The Doctor gasped in surprise, the structure above the Time Lord Capital was shaped in the likeness of a humanoid skull, its empty eye sockets burning with an orange fire.

"That my dear Doctor is the Chaos Engine" said Koschei.

"Chaos Engine" asked the Doctor?

"The name of the vast structure has recently appeared over the skies of Gallifrey" explained Koschei.

"Apart from being an enormous eyesore, is it a threat to us" asked the Doctor?

"A massive threat" continued Koschei, despite Vansell's scowl of disapproval.

"It appears to be warping local space, bending gravity around it and sending ripples out into the vortex. We cannot risk destroying it lest we unleash a white hole or some other cataclysm" explained Koschei.

"Hrmmm, how did that fiendish monstrosity get past the transduction barriers? They're meant to be impenetrable" asked the Doctor.

"The Chaos Engine isn't a harbinger from an alien world. It's an edifice of Gallifreyan design, one of the hidden defences designed by the Rassilon during his reign as President. It's been hidden somewhere on Gallifrey for some time but has recently become active and headed straight for the Capitol. Probably due to a malfunctioning priming circuit or a forgotten protocol left by Rassilon himself" explained Zero, impatiently.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

"Really; so barriers encompassing the entire planet, a fleet of Bowships and a Valdium super weapon were not enough for Rassilion. He had to build a giant doomsday device and had the poor taste to call it a Chaos Engine. I am surprised he didn't call it the giant doomsday skull of Rassilion" mocked the Doctor, cynically.

Vansell looked indignant at the Doctor's mockery of Gallifrey's greatest hero. The CIA Commander like most Time Lords saw as the greatest man to have lived and thus beyond criticism, especially from a lowly person like the Doctor.

"Rassilon had his reasons. A weapon like the Chaos Engine has an immeasurable value to the Time Lords" defended Vansell.

"What exactly is a Chaos Engine? It obviously does more than cause a bit of disturbance" asked the Doctor.

"A Chaos Engine creates mass temporal instabilities within the local vortex before it's able to build up momentum and activate its final function. This device has the ability to reverse the flow of time" explained Koschei

Shock appeared on the Doctor's face.

"But that's madness. Gallifrey has a unique affliction with Time. Every leaf, every rock and native being is soaked in Artron energy. If time is reversed, then the end result could be like adding flame to an unstable fuel source. The whole of Kasterborous could be ripped apart" theorised the Doctor.

"We have the situation in hand Doctor. We are studying all references to the Chaos Engine that are in the Green Book of Gallifrey and the Black Scrolls of Rassilon. We also have the device under observation for any changes" dismissed Vansell.

The Doctor didn't this answer.

"Fomulistic flummery, if the Chaos Engine is malfunctioning than the device could activate at any time. The sword of Damocles is hanging over Gallifrey and you want to observe. What a typical Time Lord response. Instead of relying on your own skill or judgement to make a plan of action, you want to look it up in the index. Consult the little Red Book of Gallifrey, the scrolls of antiquity the runes of Rassilon or any other toy or trinket you have left in the cupboard; rather than commit to do anything but observe" mocked the Doctor.

Cardinal Zero slammed both hands on the table and leapt to his feet, his single grey eye staring daggers into the Doctor.

"Do not presume to mock us Doctor. I will not pander to your presumptuous pride, Prydonian. I'd say you never deserved the promotion beyond Scrutationary Archivist. The holders of a Doctorate should be always hold respect for their superiors. You obviously believe yourself some kind of Gallifreyan hero. Well you are no Rassilon or Omega, just a little boy crying out in the dark" snarled Zero.

The Doctor too got to his feet, placing both his hands on his frock coat lapels and stared defiantly back at the old Cardinal.

"I am no hero. I am the Doctor. An I know your kind. You sir are a bully and you are used to terrorising the people around you. Well that won't work on me. Now, what has all this got to do with Artemis, Hrmmm" asked Doctor?

Both Vansell and Zero were too infuriated by the Doctor to speak but Koschei, always the Doctor's friend, answered his question.

"The only way to gain access the Engine and shut it down is to unlock the gene-lock. This can be done by inputting the living DNA of Rassilon or any of his descendants. Rassilon is dead in his tomb in the Death Zone, so that leaves only one viable option. It is not widely known that Rassilon had a daughter. A daughter who brought him nothing but dishonour" stated Koschei.

It took the Doctor a moment before he put the pieces together but even then he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Looking into the Doctor's eyes, Koschei saw his old friend arrive at the expected conclusion and nodded his head to confirm it. Artemis was the daughter of the great and powerful Rassilon.

**The next chapter should be coming soon. I want to finish this story before the 23****rd**** of November. Well done to everyone who works out Koschei identity. He is going to play a big part in coming chapters.**


	5. Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 04

**Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 04**

**Thank you for all those people who have reviewed, followed or favoured this story. Your support is amazing!**

**BlueNeutrino: Thank you, I am glad you liked my characterisations. I plan to introduce quite a few more familiar faces before this story is done.**

**The Final Shadow: Thank you for your review! The name of Koschei makes me jump and squeal as well. I going to use more of those kinds of names before this story is complete.**

**When writing this chapter, I used many episodes, publications and audio adventures. The main ones were Doctor Who: Infinity Doctors, Doctor Who: The Five Doctors, Doctor Who New Adventures: Theatre of War and Doctor Who: Divided Loyalty.**

Chapter 04: The Past, the Present and the Future.

After a couple of hours of pointless questions, the Doctor was allowed to go free. Cardinal Zero had ignored the Doctor's insistence that immediate action was needed. Even with Artemis in there custody, the Time Lords were not going to commit to a plan of action without a proper research and study. Vansell; before leaving the interrogation looked down his nose at the Doctor.

"Don't leave the Citadel, Doctor. The CIA will be watching you" warned Vansell.

The Doctor stared at Vansell in mild reproof.

"The Celestial Intervention Agency is watching everybody. I have no doubt Vansell that you could tell me what the President ate for breakfast, hrrmm? Your short sighted Time Lord Vansell, limited to what's in front of your own nose, but I am different. I am a citizen of the universe and an a gentlemen to boot. Good day" dismissed the Doctor.

As soon as the Doctor was released from custody, he made a beeline for Koschei. After searching the Chancellery, the Endless Library and the APC Archive; the Doctor finally found Koschei on an observation platform looking out over the endless whiteness of the Mountains of Solace and Solitude. Each snow flake melted as it batted into the thick walls of the Citadel, but still they came, like an invading army. Eight hundred storeys below, everything was black and white. Appearing just above the snow were the remains of stone structures. The last empirical evidence that Gallifrey had once been ruled by the sword and had an empire that extended out across the stars. The pillars and crumbling stone were once temples in this bygone era. An era where the future was an open sea and Gallifrey was ruled by Seers who remembered the future as they remembered the past. It was an era that had been half forgotten since the Seers of Pythia had been replaced by cold mechanical machines. The Doctor stared down at the past before turning to the present. He looked up in the sky and spotted the Chaos Engine, floating ominously in the sky surrounded by black clouds. Koschei was leaning against the safety rail, grasping it with both of his black gloved hands. His eyes were shut tight and pain was expressed on his face. The Doctor placed a hand on Koschei's shoulder, startling him. His eyes flew open and the Doctor saw in his friends eye an emotion he'd never expected; fear. This emotion was quickly hidden behind a mask of weariness.

"Are the drums bothering you again" asked the Doctor.

The Doctor was referring to the psychological condition that afflicted Koschei ever since his initiation at the Untempered Schism. In fear of being locked as a mad man, Koschei had kept it a secret in between him and his best friend.

Koschei looked like he was about to tell a lie but sighed and told the truth instead.

"The drums never stop bothering me. The older I get, the louder the drum beats, eroding my soul. An answer to your question is no" said Koschei, turning to face his old friend.

The Doctor looked indignant.

"I haven't asked anything yet" grumbled the Doctor.

"I know you Doctor; you want to indulge your infernal curiosity by questioning the Artemis girl. I am your friend not your doormat. I am not going to grant you access" said Koschei, disapprovingly.

The Doctor frowned and wondered when his friend had become so responsible.

"Artemis knows me. She trusts me. Artemis will tell me more than the Mind Probe" explained the Doctor.

Koschei shook his head.

"No Doctor, I will not allow it" stated Koschei.

Koschei turned to walk away.

"Wait, I need another favour" asked the Doctor.

"What now" asked Koschei, exasperated?

"You know the score. If this Chaos Engine stays above Gallifrey, then who's telling what damage it could do. In that case, we need people we can trust to help, so we can be rid of that monstrosity if the Time Lords are unwilling. And we both know people who are clever enough to help us" asked the Doctor.

Koschei looked sceptical.

"The Deca were disbanded long ago, I doubt there are enough of us left. Jelpax is one of the major Matrix Recorders; he has keep his eye on events in four or five minor galaxies. Our old friend Vansell turned out to be a traitor for the CIA. Drax and Mortimus have both left Gallifrey and become renegades. Both Rallon and Millennia are…" explained Koschei before tailing off at the look of sadness on the Doctor's face.

"Yes, they're dead. I was there after all" bemoaned the Doctor, miserably.

The Doctor shook his head and seemed to shake off some of the sadness.

"There is still you, me, Ushas and Magnus. Should be enough of a brain trust" commented the Doctor.

Koschei gave out a humourless laugh.

"Yes, I am sure Magnus will be very glad to sit down and talk with you in a civilised fashion. Especially after you deliberately sabotaged Magnus's experiment and made him look a fool in front of the entire High Council" commented Koschei, sarcastically.

The Doctor grabbed the lapels of his frock coat.

"Hmph, that's hardly my fault, Magnus brought it on himself. Draining a sentient creatures of their life force just for a secondary source of power is an affront against science as well as morality" said the Doctor in disdain

"Morality should mean little to Time Lords. We are above such petty concerns" scorned Koschei.

The Doctor turned red with anger and looked like he was about to explode. Forcing himself to stay calm down, the Doctor managed to get his anger under control.

"Now is not the time for old arguments and past slights. We have to work together, now more than ever. Tell Ushas and Magnus to meet me tonight at the usual place. Convince them if you have to" pleaded the Doctor.

Koschei nodded reluctantly.

"Fine, Doctor. I will talk with them and we will meet you at the usual place" said Koschei, before waving farewell to the Doctor.

Koschei turned and walked out of the observation platform, leaving the Doctor alone.

The Doctor turned back to stare at the massive window. He heard someone enter the observation platform behind him. The Doctor turned and stared at the bohemian man who entered the platform. An unkempt figure with a mop of curly brown hair, dressed in comfortable, earth-toned clothing. A long multi-coloured scarf was wound around his body with a brown trench coat and a white collared shirt. He gave a large toothy grin to the Doctor before turning to the window.

"Hello-o-o-o. My word, what a lovely view. Isn't that a lovely view? I mean it could almost be described picturesque if it wasn't for that ruddy great skull" commented the bohemian.

"Who are you sir" demanded the Doctor?

The bohemian gave another annoying grin, which made the Doctor want to hit him.

"Ah, well that would be telling. Answers are easy. It's asking the right question that's hard" said the bohemian, infuriatingly.

The Doctor was about to grab the fool by his scarf and choke him with it but a thought struck him. An undeniable truth that was almost too horrible to consider.

"Only one person would wear clothes like that and act in such a ridicules manner. You're me, a future version" gasped the Doctor.

"Why yes of course. I knew you'd make it there in the end. Although I believe you are mistaken in your hypothesis, that I am one of you. I would say that you are one of me" boasted the bohemian Doctor.

The Doctor frowned.

"What's difference" asked the Doctor?

"The difference being is that I'm the definite article" said the bohemian Doctor, arrogantly.

"Well I'm the original. What are you doing here? The First Law of Time forbids us from ever meeting in person" demanded the Doctor.

"But I'm not here. I'm the ghost of Christmas Future" pronounced the bohemian Doctor, mysteriously.

To demonstrate his point, the bohemian Doctor tried to grab hold of the safety rail but his hand went right through it. The original Doctor's anger dissipated, to be replaced by something different.

"Fascinating, absolutely fascinating is it not, hrmm. You're a type of future echo, but future echoes only ever occur when there is temporal instability in the local vortex. Which is impossible since Gallifrey's continuity is anchored so closely to the web of time" surmised the original Doctor.

"Yes quite but suppose there was an object that was threatening Gallifrey's connection. An object say like a Chaos Engine, like that ruddy great big skull" theorised the bohemian Doctor.

The original Doctor sighed.

"Yes, that make sense; yes" commented the original Doctor.

The bohemian Doctor gave his younger counterpart a very rare serious look.

"You know he is insane! Oh he's brilliant, absolutely brilliant. He's almost up to my standards, but insane, dangerously so. I wouldn't trust him" stated the bohemian Doctor.

"Who? Koschei? He's my oldest friend, I'd trust him with my life" said the original Doctor, hastily.

"Oh really. Where was Koschei during that business with the Celestial Toymaker? Or after, when the High Council ordered you to repeat your time at the Academy? You haven't seen Koschei in years. Now whenever Koschei is about, you can hear the heartbeat of a killer" explained the bohemian Doctor.

"Nonsense" dismissed the original Doctor.

He turned his back on his future self.

"Would you like a jelly baby" asked the bohemian Doctor?

The scarf shrouded bohemian pulled a paper bag full of jelly babies from the pocket of his coat and offered one to his past self. The original ignored it, his back still turned.

"Yes, Koschei has changed. I mean just now, it was like he was a different man. Not the boy I grew I up with. But he wouldn't have anything to do with the Chaos Engine malfunctioning" reasoned the original Doctor to himself.

"A bit too much of a coincidence for my liking and coincidences are invariable connected to one another, in my experience. Oh that's right, my jelly babies are incorporable. More for me I suppose" said the bohemian.

Grinning like a loon, the bohemian Doctor chowed down on the red jelly baby.

The original Doctor turned back to his possible future self to find he had vanished. His future echo had disappeared as mysteriously as he arrived. The appearance of his future self, startled the Doctor. The Time Lords watched over the creation, observing and recording everything from the the Big Bang to the Big Crunch. Although they could survey the entire universe from the lofty heights of Gallifrey, it was impossible for the Time Lords to travel into their own future and they couldn't change their own past. That was the fealty paid for their title. Even though they could gather information or do computer projections, they couldn't see the future. They could however gather the reflections of what was to come, mainly through legends or footnotes of textbooks in forgotten libraries. Through these scraps of information, the Time Lords knew some of the enemies they would have to face in the future such as Faction Paradox, Catavolcus, The Varnax, Zagreus, Pandora, the Sontarans, the Great Old Ones, Feratu, the Order of the Black Sun and the Timewyrm. They were threats to the entire Time Lord race, but quantifiable ones, ones that the Time Lords were destined to survive. There was another, a threat that would be the end of the Time Lords. Rumours spoke of a conflict, a war fought at some point against an implacable force. This War was to bring about the destruction of Gallifrey. The High Council had no idea what to do about these rumours. Any actions could start a chain of events that bring Gallifrey into conflict with the unknown enemy. The future was never fixed but constantly in flux. The things the Doctor's future self had said had stirred many new possibilities in his mind and not all of them were pleasant to contemplate. The Doctor needed to speak to Artemis right away. She would confirm or deny his theory. It was time to call in a favour with his brother.

XXXX

Irving Braxiatel was a tall thin man around 6 foot with long brown hair which wilted over his forehead, and half-moon spectacles. In his black and white robes, he looked like a librarian. But his eyes were blue, cold and calculating. Braxiatel had been loomed in the House of Lungbarrow but had been disowned by Quences for his inability to conform to the standards of the House. An unlike the Doctor, Braxiatel never had a shining future ahead of him. Before Braxiatel had been disowned, he and the Doctor had attained a brotherly bond. The Doctor himself often referred to his older brother as 'an occasional collaborator in adventures of the mind, the soul and the body". They were very similar in nature, both Time Lords had a thirst for knowledge and dreams about what lay outside Gallifrey, except Braxiatel was more sensible than his younger brother. Hence he had a comfortable position as a Junior Councillor while the Doctor was stuck in a lowly clerk position in Time –Space Traffic Control. The Doctor had been sitting in a waiting room in the outer Chancellery for over an hour until Braxiatel came out to meet him.

"It took a lot of cajoling but I managed to get permission. Thank Councillor Hedin next time you see him. He managed to expedite the bureaucracy" said Braxiatel dryly.

Hedin was a part time member of the High Council, part time historian. The Doctor and Hedin had become fast friends ever since Hedin given a lecture on the history of Omega at the Academy.

"Thank you brother and I must thank Hedin" said the Doctor.

"You should be grateful. You're lucky I got permission at all. Cardinal Zero tried to block me at every turn. He really doesn't like you" commented Braxiatel.

"Well I left quite an impression" said the Doctor, proudly.

"Too much of an impression, Zero is looking for a scapegoat and with the backing of the CIA, he'll serve you up to the High Council on a silver platter" warned Braxiatel.

"What have I done Brax" questioned the Doctor, indignantly?

"You consorted with a traitor, gave her access to the Citadel and are continuously meddling in the investigation. Face it Doctor, you're a perfect fit for a scapegoat. The Chaos Engine has the Time Lords nervous. They don't like a big skull to appear out of nowhere to disturb all there time experiments. Reports are already coming in about future echos already and visions of alternate timelines affecting the residents of the Citadel. So naturally the High Council will be looking for some to appease the angry masses" explained Braxiatel.

"An you actually enjoy Gallifreyan politics, hrmmm" asked the Doctor, sarcastically?

"It's a means to an end. I play at politics and as a result I get to act as Gallifrey's unofficial Ambassador to the outer galaxies, my dream job. Are we going to see Artemis or get into another debate about the merits of my career choice" asked Braxiatel?

"Visiting Artemis sounds the better option. After you Brax" said the Doctor, gesturing for Braxiatel to go first.

The Doctor followed Braxiatel through the lavishly furnished waiting room with its modern art sculptures into the Chancellery. They strolled through a maze of mile long corridors until they reached they reached the Guard Room with the interrogation cells. Braxiatel stopped in front of room and turned back to the Doctor.

"You're on your own from here brother" stated Braxiatel.

The Doctor nodded gratefully and went through the green crystalline door. Artemis sat at a silver interrogation table, sober and alone. She had on the table a deck of blank cards which she was continuously shuffling. The Doctor sat in the opposite metal seat but Artemis didn't even look at him. She continually shuffled her black cards. After a few minutes Artemis murmured.

"I was wondering when 'they' would send you".

It was a silence accusation of betrayal that didn't seat well with the Doctor.

"I do not work for the Time Lords and I am not here at their behest. I'm a independent" said the Doctor, angrily.

"I don't mean the Time Lords. I am talking about 'them'. How do I know you're not working for 'them'," questioned Artemis?

Artemis looked up from her shuffling, her green eyes staring into the Doctors soul, trying to gauge whether to trust him with her secrets.

"Who are 'they'? I am not the stooge for some secret cabal" proclaimed the Doctor, indignantly.

"'They' are the reason I came back to Gallifrey. 'They' are the reason the Chaos Engine is hovering over the Capitol. I need to know I can trust you" stated Artemis.

Artemis placed the deck of cards in front of the Doctor. At the Doctor's quizzically look, Artemis explained.

"They're Psychic Cards. With a drop of blood from a Time Lord, they will read there Artron energy and give me access to their timeline. I can tell you you're past, the present and the future from the telepathic impressions given by the cards. It was an old technique used by the followers of Pythia".

Curiosity overcoming his anger, the Doctor pulled out his pen knife and stabbed his right index finger. A drop of blood fell from the Doctor's finger onto the deck of cards. The cards immediately went from black to crimson. Artemis cut the deck and drew three cards which she placed in a horizontal line. Artemis placed her left hand on the card to her left.

"This card represents you past" said Artemis, solemnly.

Artemis mind flooded with images of a little boy. The loneliest little boy she had ever seen. He played on the cold floor for hours with a battered 20th century train set. No friends and no family. There were bullies who loved to shove the little boy's face into the dirt. His cousins, especially the vindictive Glospin would always tease the young boy about his ridiculous toys and attitude. They would back hand the child if he spoke out of turn. An older boy called Torvic would make a game out of shoving the Doctor's head underwater and would hold him under until just before the point of death. A giant Time Tot by the name of Anzor would use a device called "the galvaniser" to torture the Doctor while his other classmates looked on. There were happy moments of course; laying in the brown grass watching a meteor storm over the night sky of Gallifrey with a fatherly figure. His time with the aged Hermit was a certainly highlight. The Old Gallifreyan was teaching the young Doctor, the old names of the constellations outside Kasterborous when the young boy asked the old man.

_"Can I go out to the stars"?_

_"One day my boy"._

_"What will I find out there" asked the curiously youth?_

_"Anything you can possibly imagine"._

There were friends, a group of like mind youths who thought they could change the world. But they left him, everyone left the Doctor eventually.

Artemis relayed everything she had seen to the Doctor who turned pale.

"I can't see all of it. Some of you past are shrouded in darkness. But a face appears through the mist, A mandarin" reported Artemis with her eyes closed.

"The Celestial Toymaker" said the Doctor, miserably.

Artemis opened her eyes.

"Who is the Celestial Toymaker" asked Artemis?

The Doctor was reluctant.

"Can't you see him with your voodoo cards" snapped the Doctor.

Artemis sighed.

"It is not voodoo, just a science you can't understand. I can see images and a couple of memories but not everything" stated Artemis.

The Doctor didn't say a word, so Artemis reached out and took his hands in hers.

"You can trust me"

The Doctor faced Artemis, shame in his eyes.

"I had plans. My friends and I had plans to overthrow the High Council. We wanted to create the perfect Time Lord society. Not limited by laws or corruption, we wanted Time Lords to make the Universe a better place. I thought I could prove that by facing the evil in the cosmos. So two friend and myself stole a Type 90 Capsule from the Academy. We went after an entity called the Celestial Toymaker, little knowing the danger we were letting ourselves in for. I was arrogant enough to think that being a Time Lord would make me immune from the machinations of alien beings. An assumption which quiet literally blew up in my face as soon as we landed. We were ensnared within the Toymakers 'games'. I managed to escape but my friends; Rallon and Millennia weren't so lucky. They ended up becoming permanent residents of the Toymakers Toyroom" explained the Doctor.

"This is not your fault" stated Artemis, trying to comfort the Doctor.

The Doctor frowned angrily.

"Of course it's my fault. I was the one who commandeered the Time Capsule. I hacked the Matrix and found the coordinates for the Celestial Toyroom. It was my idea to begin with" screamed the Doctor, on the point of tears.

"Did you force your friends to accompany you" questioned Artemis, knowing the answer?

The Doctor remained unusually silent, confirming Artemis's thesis.

"Of course you didn't. Both your friends came of their own free will. They made their choice and the consequences were theirs to reap" said Artemis, harshly.

Wanting to change the subject, the Doctor pointed to the middle card.

"Is that my metaphysical present" asked the Doctor?

"Quite" said Artemis, moving her hand from the left card to the middle.

A single image flashed into Artemis's mind.

"I see an oval room shrouded in thunder and lighting. A crowd of dark figures encircle the room. You are at centre, wielding a sword. You are fending off a man in silver armour, also wielding a sword. The man's face has been blackened and burned, all the way down to the skull. I see you locked in eternal combat with it" enlightened Artemis.

This grabbed the Doctor's full attention. The Doctor's curiosity demanded that every ounce of his concentration was fixed upon Artemis and her cards.

"What happens? Do I win or do I die, Hrmmm" quizzed the Doctor?

"We will see. The answers you seek will be in the future" said Artemis.

She placed her hand on the final card and her head was assaulted by a cascade of images of the Doctor's future. It took all of Artemis's focus to prevent losing herself and her sanity in the Doctor's future. Images of alien worlds flooded her mind, as well as the alien creatures. The rush of images was too much for even her mind to process so she only got snatches of information.

OOOO

_In a ruined city, metal warriors chanted the words; "Daleks are the masters of Earth". _

_OOOO_

_In a weather base on a desolate grey moon, a man dressed like a hobo asked questions and searched for a solution to an improbably mystery . His friends questioned the existence of evil and this wise old hobo replied._

"_There are some corners of the universe which have bred the most terrible things. Things which act against everything we believe in. They must be fought, others redeemed"._

_00000_

_My voyage dissects the course of time_

_"Who knows?" you say - but are you right?_

_Who searches deep to find the light_

_That glows so darkly in the night_

_Toward that point I guide my flight_

_00000_

_An entity in black raged at the curly hair Doctor, unable to get at the mad bohemian. _

"_Doctor, you shall die for this" raged the Black Guardian. _

"_Ah, yes, but the Key to Time is still in my possession. Rage all you like" exclaimed the Doctor!_

"_I shall destroy you for this! I shall disperse every particle of your being to the furthest reaches of eternity" screamed the Black Guardian._

"_Oh, well, I'd love to stay and see you try, but you know how it is. Places to go, people to see" said the Doctor, annoyingly. _

_000000_

"_Well, there's a probability of anything. Statistically speaking, if you gave typewriters to a treeful of monkeys, they'd eventually produce the works of William Shakespeare" said an Edwardian Cricketer. _

_OOOO_

_A madman dressed in a coat of many colours chatted with his young friend on the antiquated ship known as a the Leviathan _

"_You almost feel sorry it didn't work" accused the Doctor's American Companion._

"_A rustic paradise; a simple and clean life. Ideas in themselves are not evil Peri; it's those who corrupt them. In the hands of the wicked or the depraved or the downright incompetent, the finest dreams can turn to nightmares" explained the Sixth Doctor._

_000000_

_I've done so much. Saved entire races whose names I can't even remember. And why? Because of reasons. Because of principles. Truth, love, and harmony. Peace and goodwill. The best of intentions. Whatever I've done, I've done for these reasons. And there's been a price to pay. Sacrifices. People close to me have died. Four of my companions, hundreds of the universe's supporting cast. I could fill whole volumes with their names. Bystanders who helped me, perhaps for just a moment or two, and suffered for it. I've died myself, six times over. I have a responsibility. To every one of them, the living as well as the dead._

_00000_

_On a museum on the Mars's second moon Deimos, a man dressed like Oscar Wilde was using his sonic screwdriver to hack through a door. His best friend, a blond haired girl from Blackpool England stood behind him. Mars was threatened by the reawakened Ice Warriors and only the Doctor could stop them. _

"_Doctor, why didn't you press the button" asked Lucie Miller?_

"_Hrmmm" asked the Doctor, fully concentrated at the job at hand. _

"_I mean one life to save millions. It makes sense" questioned Lucie?_

"_Because I use to be that guy" stated the Doctor._

"_You mean, you're the Monk. He was you all along" asked Lucie?_

"_No, but not far off. I was once a man with a master plan. I'd seek out injustices and topple governments, all in the name of the greater good. I'd started doing the maths, you see" explained the Eighth Doctor._

"_The maths"?_

"_This is how evil starts. With the belief that the ends justify the means but once you start down that road there's no turning back. What if you could save a million lives but you have to let ten people die or hundred or hundred thousand. Where do you stop" described the Doctor._

"_But you did stop" stated Lucie._

"_I did, but by then I ended up traveling alone, because I couldn't trust myself with anyone's life. I will never again countenance the death of a single living being. That's why I no longer travel alone, so that I can never forget how precious a single life is"._

_00000_

"_I want to see you become like me. Hail, the Doctor, the Great Exterminator" proclaimed the Dalek Emperor._

_The leather clad Doctor stood, clasping a device that could wipe out billions of people in under a second._

"_I'LL DO IT" threatened the Doctor!_

"_Then prove yourself, Doctor! What are you? Coward, or killer" questioned the Dalek Emperor, vindictively._

_The Doctor looked like he was about to press down the lever but hesitated, before finally dropping the device and stepping away._

"_A Coward. Any day" stated the Doctor._

_000000_

_A man dressed in a pinstripe business suit stood over a General with a gun in his hand, pointed at the Generals head. The angry beyond reason, a rage that was alien to the people around him. The Doctor leaned down and spoke to the General._

"_I never would. Have you got that? I...never...would" stated the Doctor, so everyone could hear._

_The Doctor got up and proclaimed to the crowd of Humans and Hath._

"_When you start this new world, this world of Human and Hath, remember that. Make the foundation of this society a man who never would"!_

_The Doctor dropped the pistol._

_000000_

_On an asteroid that stood in the light of an enormous alien parasite, a bowtie wearing Doctor made his final stand. _

"_Oh, you like to think you're a god, but you're not a god. You're just a parasite eaten out with jealous and envy and longing for the lives of others. You feed on them. On the memory of love and loss and birth and death and joy and sorrow. So come on, then. Take mine. Take my memories. But I hope you've got a big appetite, because I've lived a long life, and I've seen a few things. I walked away from the Last Great Time War. I marked the passing of the Time Lords. I saw the birth of the universe, and I watched as time ran out, moment by moment, until nothing remained. No time, no space – just me. I've walked in universes where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a madman. I've watched universes freeze and creations burn. I have seen things you wouldn't believe. I have lost things you will never understand. And I know things. Secrets that must never be told, knowledge that must never be spoken, knowledge that will make parasite gods blaze! So, come on, then! Take it! Take it all, baby! Have it! You have it all"!_

_0000_

Artemis staggered at the future that was opening before her mind. She just couldn't cope with all psychic images in the Doctors future. The Doctor reached a hand out to steady her but Artemis smacked his hand away. Using all her mental energy, Artemis stopped the flow of images and consigned them to the Psychic cards.

"I'm fine, I just wasn't expecting this. You have quite a future ahead of you, Doctor but it doesn't tell me your name. 'Doctor' isn't a proper name, it's a title" complained Artemis.

The Doctor chuckled.

"It's my name. A promise that is yet to be fulfilled" said the Doctor, mysteriously.

Before Artemis could demand an answer, there was a flash of white light. Both the Doctor and Artemis leapt to their feet.

"Transmat beam" cried out the Doctor, in surprise.

In front of them, conspicuously blocking the exit to interrogation room was three humanoid individuals clothed from head to toe in metal armor. There armor shone silver in the light and each carried long metal staffs. Each of their helmets had a t visor which glowed red, while on their chests they had the symbol of a black hourglass burned into their armor. One of these armoured individuals stepped forward.

"We are the Tempest Knights! The Time Lords have reigned over time too long. We are here to usurp there power and become masters of time. The Time Lords will die and you Doctor will be the first" ordered the lead Knight, in a sharp metallic voice,

The Three Tempest Knights weapons flared into life. There long staffs had a thirty centimetre long laser blade which appeared at the end of the staff. They turned there laser spears onto the Doctor.


	6. Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 05

**Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 05**

**For this chapter I mainly drew upon Doctor Who The Eight Doctors by Terrence Dicks, Doctor Who The Remembrance of the Daleks Novelisation by Ben Aaronvitch and The Gallifrey Chronicles by John Peel **

**BlueNeutrino: Thank you! I'm glad you like this fanfic so much.**

Chapter 05 The Golden Grockle

"Wait, wait, wait" said Phoebe, interrupting the strangers story.

"So a giant mutant mouse, moving furniture and now medieval Knights looking to conquer time, isn't this a bit unbelievable. This Doctor guy seems like a terrible hero. I mean he can't even save himself, other people have to come to his rescue" criticized Phoebe.

The stranger gave a thin smile.

"The Doctor is yet to accept the responsibility for his promise. By the end of this story the Doctor will have made his stand. Unless of course, you don't want to listen to the rest my tale" asked the Stranger, with a charming smile.

That was the last thing Phoebe wanted. The story told so hypnotically by the Stranger and it was the only thing distracting her from the current predicament. The life pod rocked in the alien ocean and the decaying seals were leaking water which dripped down onto the pods occupants. An Inner heater in the pod kept them warm but didn't stop the moisture in the atmosphere from soaking them with water. The Stranger adjusted his embroidered black and gold collar, uncomfortably.

"No, I'm sorry I interrupted. Please continue" asked Phoebe.

"Of course my dear, as you command. Now where was I...oh yes"

XXXX

The three Tempest Knights weapons flared into life. There long staffs had a thirty centimetre long laser blade appear at the end. They turned their laser spears onto the Doctor. The closest Tempest Knight tried to stab the laser staff into him but the Doctor jumped backwards, accidentally tripping and falling onto the table behind him, missing the oncoming blade by inches. A second Knight came from the Doctor's left, slashing his staff down like an axe. The Doctor rolled to the right, narrowly missing the laser staff. The laser staff carved its way into the green metal surface of the table and the Tempest Knight had great difficulty tearing it from the table. Artemis didn't waste a second, she leapt gracefully on to table and using the laser staff lodged in the surface of the table as leverage, she kicked the Tempest Knight in the helmet causing him to stumble back. In stumbling back, the Knight lost his grip on his laser staff, something which Artemis took advantage of. Artemis picked up the staff, showing off her physical prowess by easily pulling it from its lodgings in the metal table. She performed a perfect front flip, landing to the side of one of the Knights. Using her staff, she disarmed the knight of his staff and to the Doctor's horror, stabbed the knight in the centre of his T visor. The laser blade cut through the armour like butter and the knight gave a hollow scream before falling to the ground dead. The remaining two Tempest Knights stopped there attack on the Doctor and advanced wearily on Artemis. Picking up the dead Knights staff in one hand and wielding another staff in the other hand; Artemis nonchalantly spun the staffs around in her hands; showing both the Knights that she was ambidextrous and capable of wielding both staffs, though the Knights kept advancing. The disarmed Knight grabbed a stubby rod from his belt. With a press of a button, the stubby rod grew in a silver broad sword which the Knight wielded with great alacrity. The Doctor could do nothing but watch as Artemis threw both her staffs at the Tempest Knight, one staff for one of the oncoming Knights. The laser blades at the end of the staff's easily cut through the armour that the knights wore. With pin point accuracy both the blades hit their targets. A staff bit into the chests of both Tempest Knights, puncturing one of their twin hearts. Both fell back, clutching at the staff that was lodged in there chest. Instead of blood, gold light appeared from cracks in there armour. The Doctor was amazed to realise that these Tempest Knights were Time Lords. There was a flash of energy and a transmat beam took the three Tempest Knights from the interrogation room. The Doctor stepped down from the table and red patches of anger on his face.

"That was unnecessary stupidity. You didn't need to kill them" snarled the Doctor in a low voice.

Artemis reacted with anger at the Doctor's rebuke.

"How dare you criticize my actions, you pious bean tin! I just saved your life. Those Knights would have killed you if it wasn't for me, so you should be a little more grateful" snapped Artemis.

The Doctor stuck his face right into Artemis's personal space.

"You should have found another rather than turning to this butchery. You do realize that you murdered a man. A Time Lord; and you don't feel a thing. You've murdered before" accused the Doctor.

"Welcome to real life Doctor. I wasn't given any other choice. I did what I needed to do" said Artemis, brutally.

A clattering of boots announced that squad of Chancellery guard were outside, attracted by the noises of fighting and the arguing. The guards burst through the door of the interrogation cell, capes flowing and Stasers drawn. All there weapons were aimed at Artemis. The Doctor damned himself for not getting the information he had set out to get. Those Tempest Knights only raised more questions than answers. Out of the blue, Artemis grabbed the Doctor for a kiss. This took the scarlet guardsmen off guard and they did nothing but stare. Put in a rather awkward situation the Doctor just stood there, waving his arms like a penguin trying to fly while Artemis embraced him in a long lascivious kiss. Engulfed by emotions and feelings the Doctor had never experienced before, he could stand in stunned silence. Artemis broke off the kiss but pressed their foreheads together.

"Contact" whispered Artemis.

Understanding what Artemis was about to do, the Doctor whispered the the traditional response.

"Contact".

It was the trigger for a Gallifreyan telepathic conference. Both Artemis and the Doctor open their minds to each other. Creating a grey void where both minds met.

"I tell you these things Doctor because of the man you will become. For the Universe that will be your responsibility" proclaimed Artemis, from the grey void.

The Doctors mind began to receive memories from Artemis's past, in quick succession.

OOOO

A little girl in her pyjamas stood by a door, staring through a crack into her father's study. Three men sat in the lavish room, in Gothic wooden chairs around an old round table. These three men were the governing rulers of Gallifrey, a Triumvirate to surpass any power in the known universe. The Triumvirate met in a Rassilon's quarters, high in the upper hemisphere. Of these three Galifreyans who would reshape their world, two were to become great legends; the other would vanish altogether from history. Omega was a giant of a man, with huge muscles and wide shoulders. He was a genetic memory from a dark time of barbaric kings who imposed there will on poor unfortunates.

"Construction of the Stellar Manipulator is almost complete. I estimate that the final calibrations will take no more than six months. In six months, we shall become transtemporal, free of the tyranny of moment following moment. We shall become the Lords of Time" exclaimed Omega, thumping his chest!

The man sitting to the right of Omega nodded his approval. He was a tall middle aged Gallifreyan with a white beard which covered his chin. The strange thing was the gold coronet on his head, with an amber gem at its centre. This was the great and powerful Rassilon.

"Let us hope, that we are worthy of such stewardship. Time imposes order on events; without order there is no balance, all is chaos. We shall impose order" conjectured Rassilon.

The third man started at this. The other man sat in the shadows, his features were impossible to make out. He had a pocket watch in his left hand, which he spun absent minded.

'I forbid it,' the other ordered.

"I was merely explaining" sputtered Rassilon, indignantly.

"Remember the Minyans" said the other.

Reminding his two colleagues of the repercussions of their power if misused.

"But we know so much more, we have learnt from our mistakes" protested Omega, angrily.

Omega's rage evaporated when he met the other's eyes and became silent. Both were indebted to this shadowy individual. Without the Other, Rassilon and Omega would be nothing.

"Let us move from such gloomy talk and onto topics of more interest. Have your eyes feast on this great feat of scientific magnificence" boasted Rassilon.

He pulled out what looked like parchment and spread it on the table. The parchment lit up and a 3D hologram appeared over the paper. It was a plan for the Chaos Engine surrounded by flowing Gallifreyan script.

"This is the final defence for Gallifrey. If the transduction barriers are breached and all hope is lost, than the High Council can call upon this, the Chaos Engine" pronounced Rassilon.

Omega studied the plans with the eyes of an engineer before giving judgement.

"It is of excellent design. You may want to attune the power output. It will put too heaver drain the taranium core" commented Omega.

"Is that all you do in that 'Foundry' of yours? Think of new ways to kill us all. I thought those harpoons of yours were galling enough" scorned the Other.

Rassilon shook his head in disagreement.

"No my friend, this isn't a time destructor weapon like you suppose. It creates chaos energies to weaken the boundaries of time. Once we claim our stewardship of time and Gallifrey is anchored to time itself, we will be unable to travel through our own past or future. With the right focus, the Chaos Engine can reverse Gallifrey's timestream so that any invader would no longer be at our doorstep and we can correct any mistake" explained Rassilon.

"What focus do you mean" questioned Omega?

"See for yourself" said Rassilon.

The great Lord of Gallifrey flicked his wrist at the 3D hologram and the image of the Chaos Engine dissolved into a million small parts which made up the whole. Each of the three scanned the parts in front of them and nodded their approval. The little girl was unable to make out anything from the crack in the door.

"I'll allow it but there needs to be more security" stated the Other.

Rassilon gave a smile of triumph.

"Would a genetic lock satisfy you" asked Rassilon?

"It just might" replied the other.

The shadowy individual gave a crooked grin.

OOOOO

Artemis broke the connection and the Doctor let out an audible gasp. His usual haughty expression had given away to awe. To see into the memories of someone else was an eerie experience at the best of times but to dip into someone's mind and see history in the making was amazing. Especially since both Rassilon and Omega were both his heroes. The Doctor had a strange familiar feeling about the shadowy individual. It was like that Other guy was an old friend or someone close. Artemis turned back to the Chancellery Guardsmen, who felt rather out of place in this situation. They were more use to dealing with blind drunk Shobogans rather than kissing Time lords. They all felt rather relieved when Artemis put her hands up in surrender.

"You can take me away now" said Artemis as if it was an order.

The Guards kindly obligated, placing her in plastic hand restraints and leading her out of the room. Braxiatel rushed into the room and anxiously checked on his younger brother.

"Doctor, are you alright" questioned Braxiatel?

The Doctor looked at Braxiatel as if dazed; he managed to croak out the words.

"I must say, what a woman".

XXXX

Low Town has grown up around and between the mighty pillars which support the base of the Capitol. It was a motley collection of pre-industrial buildings built by the outsiders of Time Lord Society. Those sick of the technocratic and overt rule of the High Council had come here to devote them lives to unTime Lordly pursuits. These outsiders are commonly called Shobogans by those who lived in the Citadel. Over the years, Shobogans settled in Low Town with one foot in the Capitol and the other reassuringly in Outer Gallifrey. Just in case the pressures of city life or the attentions of the Chancellery Guard grow too much for these free spirited individuals. It was the middle of the night when the Doctor wrapped in a black travel cloak made his way through the dark narrow alleyways and through shabby lanes until he got to the centre of Low Town. It was an old dingy tavern with a sign hanging over the door spelling the words; ''The Golden Grockle'. Beneath the bracket showed a faded picture of some exotic once-golden creature. The Doctor and Koschei had spent many hours in this infamous tavern, drinking beer into the wee hours of the morrow during their illegal excursions into Low Town. The Doctor smiled; to Koschei and the rest of his friends from the Academy, this was the 'usual place'. The Doctor made his way down the narrow alley. During the day time this place would be crowded but at night the Shobogans and Outsiders retreated to the many Taverns for a drink. The Doctor pushed open the heavy wooden doors and went inside. He found himself at the top of three long, low steps, at the bottom of which was a square, stone-flagged room with a heavy wooden bar running across the far end. The room was furnished with chairs, tables' benches and stools, all in the same heavy wood. Shobogans crowded the bar and the area. The Doctor gave chuckle; the Golden Grockle still was the toughest Tavern in all of Low Town, the ultimate centre of scum and villainy in all of Gallifrey. Wrapping his cloak tightly around him, the Doctor strolled through the tavern to the bar; the space in between was crowded with jostling figures, some in the plain robes of respectable townsfolk, others in the fur cloaks, skins and leathers of Outlanders. All the Outlanders were armed - everything from knives and bows to blasters and even the odd staser-rifle. Waving his hand to gain the attention of a bald headed portly barman; the Doctor managed to yell an order.

"'A tankard of Best Old Shobogan, please barkeep" ordered the Doctor.

The Barman gave a nod and poured a tankard full of a light brown liquid from a pump. After fishing through his pockets, the Doctor produced a silver gold. He passed it to the Barman; who bit into it, testing the coins virility before accepting it and handing the Doctor his Tankard. The Doctor was about to find a table when he was accosted by two Outsiders who both heavy built and carrying heavy clubs.

"Hey, we don't like Timey's in here. Go back to the Citadel" growled the leather clad Outsider.

"Hmph, do I you like a Timey to you" said the Doctor, pulling open his cloak to reveal his Edwardian garb underneath.

The Outsiders both raised their eyebrows. Clothing like the Doctor's was very unlike the garb Time Lords traditional wore.

"Tell you the truth, mate, I'd have a job to say what you are" admitted one of the Outsiders.

Taking advanced of their confusion, the Doctor pushed his point home.

"Well gentlemen, if I am not a Timey then I should be able to enjoy my drink in peace. So if you'll excuse me" said the Doctor.

The Doctor skirted around the big confused Outsiders and took an empty table at the back of the Tavern. He sipped deeply from his tankard and examined the scenes around him. The people in the table next him were playing dice. It didn't surprise the Doctor to spot multiple incidents of cheating as the Shobogans gambled the night away. There were many black market deals done in the Tavern. Many of the Shobogans sold and bought items considered illegal by Time Lords, such as Bottle Universes and Possibility Fish. The Doctor was snapped out of his out of reverie by the stranger who sat down next to him. A man with blond curly hair and a multi-coloured coat was sitting next to him. The blond haired stranger had a smug smile on his face and a Tankard of ale in his hand.

"The only way to get to the bottom of a great mystery is to look at the bottom of a tankard. It is a rather inspired notion, but not your real reason for meeting here of all places" commented the man in the multi-coloured coat.

Having become adept at recognizing himself, the Doctor knew the man for who he was.

"Oh no, not a another one" said the Doctor, incredulously

"Ah, you recognize me. What gave me away? Was it the noble brow, the firm mouth or the face beaming with a vast intelligence" asked the Doctor in the multi-coloured coat.

"Hrmm, none of that, it was the terrible dress sense that gave it away. No one in the whole of Gallifrey would wear anything remotely like that. It is very bombastic to say the least" commented the Doctor.

The Doctor in the multi-coloured coat seemed to explode at this, in the form of an indignant rant.

"Bombastic?! Bombastic!? I am never bombastic, of all the cheek. The man running around in Edwardian outfit is calling my outfit bombastic. I will have you know young Doctor that my dressing sense and indeed this whole incarnation of you is an amalgamation of some of your best traits" ranted the Doctor.

The younger Doctor snorted.

"Would those traits be my arrogance, brashness and my inability to face reality" grumbled the younger Doctor.

The Doctor in the multi-coloured coat took a swig of his tankard and continued his rant.

"Some of your most charming qualities, I assure you Doctor. Better me than my less prestigious compatriots. My predecessor is nauseatingly feckless and I hear rumours that my replacement isn't much better, in the nasty habit of blowing up planets" raved the Doctor in the multi-coloured coat.

The younger Doctor raised his hands in exasperation.

"I can't know that! It's bad enough seeing my future selves through these echoes. Anymore details about my future could rip apart the whole fabric of the web of time. There should be a word that warns me not to listen to these details" described the Doctor.

"I believe the technically term is 'spoilers'. I briefly met a Doctor of Archaeology who was very fond of the word. A frustrating woman although I had a feeling she had a crush on me. With my supreme physique, who can blame her" stated the Doctor in the multi-coloured coat.

Wanting to move their conversation away from spoiler topics, the younger Doctor asked a question.

"So what is my real plan"?

"Well, if I was a man with great intelligence and lacking in patience which I am, then I'd get my duck all in a row. I would gather my suspects together in a familiar place and see what shakes loose. That's why you gathered them here isn't. The three greatest Time Lords of their generation. The three people who would have most likely activated the Chaos Engine. A rather ingenious stratagem I have concocted, if I don't say so myself" commented the Doctor in the multi-coloured coat.

"But you're not me and it's my plan" said the Doctor, stubbornly.

"Wrong, you forget that I am you, a possible future echo of yourself. I've already planned your stratagem, employed it and confined it to the dusty recesses of my mind" remonstrated the Doctor with the multi-coloured coat.

The Doctor was about to retort but a shadow fell over his table.

"You know talking to yourself to yourself is indicative of madness in certain more civilised parts of the Galaxy" said the newcomer.

Standing over him was a rather beautiful, imperious looking woman with lush light brown hair and a cruel nose. She too was wrapped in a black cloak very similar to the Doctor's. The Doctor noticed that his future echo in the multi-coloured coat had disappeared, evaporating into the ether from once he had come. The Doctor concluded the woman mustn't have seen the echo and assumed he had been talking to himself.

The Doctor stood to face his old friend.

"Ushas, it's good to see you again. I haven't seen you in what feels like an age" greeted the Doctor.

The Doctor offered his hand but it was not received by the stiff haughty Ushas, who ignored the hand of friendship.

"I am here Doctor. Both Magnus and Koschei are right behind me. You have exactly ten seconds to explain why I am here instead of in my lab exploring the chemical mysteries of the Universe" pronounced Ushas, sullenly.

In the crowd behind Ushas, the Doctor spotted Koschei escorting Magnus, who was wearing a grey suit and had a commanding presence about him.

The Doctor's 'friends' were all here, it was time for the reunion to commerce.


	7. Chapter 06 Earthshock

**Doctor Who Year One Hundred Chapter 06**

**First off I'd like to thank the wonderful BlueNeutrino for making and designing the book cover for this fanfic. She did a really awesome job at making the cover and I can never thank her enough. I'd really recommend reading some of her fanfics, because she is a excellent writer!**

**For this chapter I mainly drew upon Doctor Who The Mark of the Rani, Doctor Who The War Games, Doctor Who The Daemons, Doctor Who Flashback (Comic), Doctor Who Shada, Doctor Who Neverland, Doctor Who The End of Time, Doctor Who The Five Doctors, Doctor Who The Tenth Planet, Doctor Who The Tombs of the Cybermen and Doctor Who Silver Nemesis.**

Chapter 06 Earthshock

The Doctor simply reached into the folds his cloak and pulled out a test tube, the one that contained the blood sample from the mutant mouse and handed it to Ushas. She frowned but her eyes sparkled with fascination. Ushas sat at the table the Doctor had taken for their group and analysed the contents of the test tube, using a device strapped to her wrist. Koschei and Magnus walked up to the Doctor, both wearing black cloaks.

Both Time Lords looked remarkably similar. Both had a fashionable goatee, a dark complexion and a hypnotic stare. The difference between the two was in there manner. Koschei gave off an aura of wit, sophistication and a great intelligence enforced by a subtle guile. While Magnus had none of these qualities; he was direct, commanding and more comfortable with brute force rather than subtle, which made him a peculiarity among his fellow Time Lords. Koschei nodded in greeting, giving the Doctor a crooked smile. Magnus however gave the Doctor a controlled glare.

It would seem there was no love lost between them over the little embarrassment with the High Council. It wasn't the Doctors fault, not completely. Magnus's experiment had been completely unethical. The Doctor couldn't have stood by while his friend drained innocent creatures of their life energy, so he had sabotaged the experiment and made Magnus look like a right fool in front of the entire High Council. To a prideful Time Lord like Magnus, this was not something that he could forgive and forget. The not quite enemies not quite friends; nodded to each other in greeting.

"Doctor, it has been awhile. You haven't changed at all" said Magnus, in form of greeting.

"In the stale atmosphere of Gallifrey, change is improbability to say the least. Now enough dilly-dallying, we have much to discuss" said the Doctor, impatiently.

The three men sat down at the table but before anyone could utter a word, the portly Barman intruded on their little table with three flagons of Ale. He slammed the flagons on the table, spilling droplets of ale all over the table.

"That'll be one Gallifreyan Guinea" demanded the gruff illiterate Barman.

Koschei's dark eyes locked onto the dull eyes of the Barman. A hypnotic gleam appeared within Koschei eyes, an element of absolute will that had the power to consume those lesser minds. He stared deep into the Barman's eyes, and his voice became deep. The Barman face immediately went blank

"You don't need to get paid. Theses drinks are on the house. Obey and be about your business. Obey me, Obey me, obey me..." ordered Koschei.

The hypnotized Barman turned to leave but the Doctor reached out an arm and stopped him.

"Listen to me, when I snap my fingers you will awake" ordered the Doctor.

The Doctor snapped his fingers and the Barman awoke from his trance with a start. Placing a gold coin in the Barman's hand, the Doctor sat back into his seat and stared arrogantly at Koschei. Before the Doctor could manage a rebuke, Ushas interrupted.

"Are you still playing that old game? Koschei hypnotising people and the Doctor unhynotising them. It is the ultimate game of one up man-ship" critiqued Ushas.

"What is wrong with our little games my dear Ushas. Where is the harm I ask you" charmed Koschei?

"The harm is that you two always take things too far. You and the Doctor are a well-matched pair of pests. Like a plague of flesh eating insects, you two create nothing but chaos. Ruining other people's experiments and research" said Ushas, ruefully.

"You're over exaggerating and I did apologies for that for our little miscalculations" said the Doctor, looking guilty.

"Miscalculations is putting it mildly Doctor, The Academy Science Symposium was all but turned to ashes in the wake of your contest to build the best Dark Matter Field" commented Magnus, in dry humour.

"An in the wake of your games, my precious research gets lost in the cracks of your disasters. Only in the years have I been able to make progress into discovering the properties and uses of physical matter" scowled Ushas.

The Doctor sighed and remembered why he never liked to catch up with old friends. They just got embroiled in past arguments and misdeeds.

"That is all very well and good but what did you make of the blood I gave, hrrmmm" questioned the Doctor?

"An interesting specimen; it's the blood of an ordinary mammalian rodent. The type they use in laboratories. Except there have been alterations made its DNA. I'll need more time to discover anymore" said Ushas, pensively.

Magnus snorted his disgust.

"Please don't tell me you've drag us all out to this less than salubrious establishment just so we can talk about rodents" mocked Magnus.

"Why yes. It is one of the items in tonight's meeting. The rodent in question tried to eat me and my new friend. I believe it is a symptom of a much greater conspiracy. The Tempest Knights are responsible. Twice, they have made attempt on my life and only by dumb luck I have survived" proclaimed the Doctor.

Ushas, Magnus and Koschei didn't look surprised at the Doctor's words, just weary.

"An you're not surprised are you? You all know about them don't you, hrrmmm? Everyone except me of course" questioned the Doctor?

The Doctor knew that all three of them had high level positions within Time Lord society and had a wealth of information at their fingertips. It was all a matter of sitting on them until one of them said uncle. Finally Koschei spoke, breaking the silence.

"The Time Lords knew about these Knights before your fracas with them earlier today. There was a breakout at the Time Lord prison Shada. It would seem that these Knights were responsibly" stated Koschei.

Magnus frowned deepened and his anger was like to a black storm.

"You reveal highly classified Time Lord Secrets to this Retrograde. That is treason" accused Magnus!

Koschei finally lost his temper.

"It is lesser treason compared to the betrayal I would have committed against my friend by my silence. You forget that each of us here have sworn an oath, loyalty until the end. Besides Shada has a powerful perception shield. It will cause the name and concept to fade from the mind of even a Time Lord, given enough time. So my treason would be considered as nominal in the mind of the Time Lords" sneered Koschei.

"What is this Shada? I wasn't aware Gallifrey had any prisons" asked the Doctor?

"Ah but it does, one of the many black secrets at the heart of our Time Lord paradise. Shada is an ancient construction designed by Rassilon himself. It's hidden on a Planetoid in another dimension. It was designed to imprison Gallifrey's more infamous criminals; those who the Time Lords couldn't risk exiling into the wider universe. The ancient outlaws of yesteryear; like the War criminal Rungar, the mass murder Sabjatrik, the cruel Lady Scintilla and of course the infamous Salyavin. As advanced as the defences of Shada are, they were no match for these Tempest Knights. They broke in and freed over two hundred prisoners. None of the ancient outlaws thank Rassilon" explained Koschei.

"Two hundred of the most sadistic and evil beings that Time Lord society have produced are now free and have now joined evil order of Knights with the sole aim of becoming masters of time. Just why in the name of Rassilon should we be thankful? I lack insight into their motivations. I mean what is the point of it all? As Time Lords they already have stewardship of time. It's madness for the sake of madness" exclaimed the Doctor!

"That isn't the only bad news. Tell him Magnus" ordered Koschei.

Magnus gave Koschei a look of thunderous fury but gave into his friends demand.

"I've been consulting the Matrix as a part of research in divining new technologies that Gallifrey should take advantage of. The Matrix has almost unlimited power to predict possible futures and yesterday it gave a rather startling prediction" explained Magnus, grudgingly.

"More startling than Knight trying to conquer time" questioned the Doctor, sardonically?

"Yes. Why don't you see for yourself" stated Magnus.

He reached into his cloak and pulled out a black metal headband which Magnus passed to the Doctor. The circular band was warm to the touch and incredible light.

"It is prototype Matrix Mind Projector of my design, based on Cornet that the President wears to gain access to the Matrix. Through this device you can project your brain waves through the APC net directly into the Matrix, granting you the ability to access any file or simulation within the Matrix's dimensions; a metaphysical fourth door. It is simple to access for those simple minded. All you need to do is place the Mind Projector on your crown" boasted Magnus.

The Doctor stared down at Magnus's invention in approval.

"Hrrmm, quite an interesting little gadget. Well, here goes" said the Doctor.

The Doctor placed the mind projector on his head and everything changed. The busy tavern filled with happy chatting people and the smell of strong ale disappeared. It was replaced the grand architecture Panopticon; the meeting place for all Time Lords in the Capitol. Unfortunately that was where the familiarity ended. All the usual banners, statutes and symbols were all replaced with the black markings of the Tempest Knights. The stench of decay pervaded the hall. The Doctor was shocked to see heads on pikes, placed strategically around this black Panopticon. From the windows of the great room the Doctor could see the parts of the Citadel burning and beyond; the forests of Gallifrey were dead and cracked. The silver leafs of the Pandak trees were withered and perished. The sky's which once danced with lights purple and orange, now encompassed with the black smoke. The Doctor was seated among a crowd of Gallifreyans in the Panopticon. Some of the people looked beaten and cowed, wearing nothing but rags, while others had grown cruel and their hearts had hardened to ice. All there focus was on the centre dais, where a man in black Tempest armour stood. His hair was bleached blond and his face was unshaven. He was a tall thin man with a smile worthy of the mad hatter and a dark gleam in his eyes that could only be described as insane. The crowd cheered at the sight of this man.

"Silence, Silence for your Lord and Master. The Knight Commander has an announcement" called an unidentified imperious voice over a loud speaker.

The Doctor shook his head in shock and amazement.

"Who is this Knight Commander? His aspect seems familiar" wondered the Doctor, aloud.

An old crone in black robes turned on the Doctor from her seat on his right.

"Shhh, do you want us all to get executed" scowled the old crone.

Before the Doctor could make an indignant retort, a loud voice interrupted him.

"My People, my Master race, I am your Knight Commander, second only to the Tempest General. Today you will bear witness to a judgement on our enemies. We strive to achieve unending glory for the Tempest. Yet there are those who challenge our beliefs, those who follow different paths and other timelines. Such beliefs cannot be permitted" proclaimed the Knight Commander.

He paused for a second to allow a round of applause before ploughing on with his speech.

"Those evil wrenched creatures like the Cyberiad, the Sontarans, the Monan Host, the Warpsmiths of Phaidon and the Human Race. Today we will be speaking to a representative of one such race" pronounced the Knight Commander.

A globe of energy appeared above the Commanders head. It formed into the image of blackness; a creature that seemed more machine than organic, sitting in darkness. All that could be seen was a blue light emitting from what the Doctor could make out as an eyestalk.

"This creature is an Emperor among its people. But that means nothing to the people of the Tempest. Listen here Emperor, what do you want of us" asked the Knight Commander?

The alien Emperor responded, its bright blue eye never moving.

"Time Lord, authorize our release from the Time Eddy from which you have imprisoned us" demanded the Alien Emperor.

It's voice deep and metallic, never detracting from it goal.

"You dare ask anything of us. Emperor, we are proud to declare that you and all the inhabitants of the planet Skaro are our prisoners" declared the Knight Commander!

"No, you need us Time Lord! Your continuity cannot survive without us! Release us now" demanded the Emperor!

The crowd shouted the disproval at this statement but the Knight Commander quieted the crowd with a hypnotic stare and wave of his hand.

"You are an enemy of our people. Request denied" said the Commander, vindictively.

This got a cheer from the crowd which the Commander seemed to lap up.

"This creature and the remaining battalions of its wretched race, we hold outside of the realms of space-time. We now have the ability to extinguish these 'pepperpots' in an instant. Crush them within the bounds of their prison. The Tempest General and the War Council have decided to destroy them, right here for your viewing pleasure" declared the Commander.

A feeling of cold horror came over the Doctor. He realised that this wasn't a diplomatic dialogue between two different races. This was a public execution and he was in the middle of the bloodthirsty mob. The crowd screamed and cried there approval, jumping to their feet. Jumping to his feet with the rest of the crowd, the Doctor tried to protest but his screams were drowned by the baying mob. This execution was evil. It went against everything the Doctor had held dear and everything that the Time Lords had upheld. Article 7 of Gallifreyan law expressly forbids any person from committing Genocide. The Doctor had it drummed into him by all his Mentors that removing an alien race from time altogether could have disastrous effects to the Web of time.

"Time Lord, you cannot exterminate us" said the Emperor, desperation in its metallic tone.

"Oh yes, I can" sneered the Commander!

The Commander pulled a remote control out from his belt and pressed it. The alien Emperor and its surroundings began to be engulfed in an orange energy which pulsated violently.

"Please have pity" plead the Emperor.

"Pity! I don't think so. Die" screamed the Commander, in joyful triumph!

The image of the Emperor faded to white and the Doctor shot out of the projection and back into the busy tavern. The Doctor gasped like a diver coming up for air and removed the projector from his head.

"Shocking isn't it" commented Koschei, mildly.

"It was a nightmare. An you say that this is Gallifrey's future" asked the Doctor?

"It's prediction of the future. The assorted minds in the Matrix estimate that this scenario is 95% chance of coming to past and that's the most conservative projection" commented Ushas dryly.

Before the Doctor could question his friends further, he was interrupted by new arrivals. A translucent cone appeared in the empty space in the centre of the Golden Grockle. It appeared as if out of thin air and all the taverns patrons stopped whatever they were doing. The Shobogans sensing danger immediately stopped drinking and began to edge towards the door. While the rough and ready Outsiders grabbed the nearest weapon and held them in sweaty palms. Like an upside down tornado, the cone disappeared but had left something in its wake. Five silver humanoids made of metal and plastic which melded with flesh. Their faces were cold and emotionless and each had a pair of tube protruding from either side of there heads. Their bodies were augmented with cybernetic implants and limbs. The Doctor immediately recognized the creatures from his studies of Earth history. Standing completely still, the creatures seemed to be scanning their surroundings.

"What are they" stuttered Magnus.

"Cybermen, there called Cybermen" stated the Doctor.

"What are Cybermen" asked Ushas, in mild curiosity?

"There from Earth history, the Mondas Event. The first time humans began suspect that they weren't alone in the universe. In the year 1986 CE Humanian Era, the planet Earth was invaded by the Cybermen from Earth's own twin planet Mondas. These Cybermen were humans once, but they had their emotions surgically removed in favour of becoming machines" stated the Doctor.

Everyone knew the Doctor affection for the planet Earth. He was a complete Terraphile.

"That's all well and good but what are they doing here. On Gallifrey" babbled Magnus, stunned.

"Isn't it obvious? Didn't you pay attention during History? Of course not, History was a waste time according to you lot" snapped the Doctor, impatiently.

"A Time Scoop from the Dark Times, someone used a Time Scoop to take these creature from their native time zone and dropped them to this very Tavern. These Scoops were banned by the High Council; all of them were 'supposedly' destroyed. This smells like the work of the CIA" deduced Koschei.

The one of the Cybermen came to life.

"Location unknown. Assess local population for conversion" stated one of the Cybermen, in a cold electronic tone.

One of the Outsiders stepped forward. He was a big man, over seven feet, bald with a beard and had biceps the size of meteorites. He was also armed with a giant club.

"Oi, we don't allow alien freaks in here" ordered the big man.

The Big Outsider hefted his club and tried to hit one of the Cybermen with the metal end. The Cyberman merely caught the club mid blow. Straining his muscles with all his might, the Big Outsider was unable to pull his club out of the iron grip of the Cyberman. Reaching out a metal arm, the Cyberman grabbed the big Outsiders shoulder and his appendage began to glow with a blue light. An arc of electricity sprang from the Cyberman's palm and into the Big Outsider. As if struck by lightning, the Outsider collapsed, his body giving off an acrid smoke. Unlike the Gallifreyans who lived in the Citadel, this Outsider wasn't gifted with the ability to regenerate so died a painful death on the floor. Rage took hold of the Doctor, something that overpowered his fear. This rage didn't burn like fire but froze like winter. He stormed forward to the centre of the bar, people around him began to scatter but the Doctor didn't care.

"You there! Yes, you metal men. How dare you end this man's life. How dare you" accused the Doctor!

The Cyberman with the black tubes on either the side of his head turned on the Doctor. Its metal features devoid of anything that could be described as emotion.

"You belong to us. You will become like us" stated the Cyberleader, in an artificial tone.

"No sir! I belong to no one! Don't you feel any remorse for that man you just murdered" questioned the Doctor?

"Resistance is useless. All those who resist, will be destroyed. Why should I feel any remorse, it is a useless emotion" countered the Cyberleader.

"Emotions. Love, pride, hate, fear. Have you no emotions, sir" questioned the Doctor?

"We have no need for emotions" replied the Cyberleader.

One the Cybermen standing next to the Leader lifted an arm and pointed to the Doctor.

"He is known to us Leader. His voice pattern and appearance matches one of the early Incarnations of the Doctor" said the Cyberman.

"Excellent, the Doctor is our greatest enemy. He must be destroyed" stated the Cyberleader.

The Doctor marvelled at this statement. He had never done anything to the Cybermen to warrant such a title as 'greatest' enemy or not yet at least.

"Destroy him" ordered the Cyberleader!

Four Cybermen lifted their arms and aimed a cybergun that was built into the arm. They fired and the Doctor duck just in time. The shots went right over his head; some hitting the back wall while others hitting innocent bystanders. The other Outsiders and Shobogans didn't need any more convincing. Everyone began to run for the nearest exit, everyone except the Doctor and his friends at the back table. Koschei was speaking into a wrist communicator, calling up the Capital Guard in the Citadel. But the Doctor knew that the Guard would be too late to do anything. He needed to get his friends out of harm way, he needed to draw the Cybermen away; he needed a plan. The Doctor manually calmed his beating hearts and looked around the now deserted tavern for the solution. In his mind the Doctor catalogued everything in bar, from the illicit objects left on the tables to the ale stored at the bar. He arrived at a conclusion in under a second. The Doctor then spend another second building up the courage to carry out his daring plan, he'd never done anything like this before. Standing up to the monsters was probably something left to the professionals thought the Doctor.

"Oi! Follow me you metal morons! Come and get me" dared the Doctor!

The Doctor got up and started to run towards the main doors. He zigzagged around the tables, making the Doctor an impossible target for the Cybermen. Laser bolts whizzed by the Doctor but he kept running. Even taking the time to pick up a number pouches that lay abandoned on the tables. The Cybermen followed, there slow pace was steady and determined. The Doctor pushed the doors open and dove through. Out in the fresh air, the Doctor checked the pouches that he'd collected. A couple contained some coins while other had exactly what he needed. Validium and exactly enough for what the Doctor had planned. The Doctor smoothed out his cloak and just waited for the Cybermen to emerge. They exited the building in a single file, and then spread out to surrounded the Doctor.

"Wait! Wait just one moment. How would you like the secrets of the Time Lords" asked the Doctor, nervously.

The Cyberleader stood in silence, considering the Doctor's offer. It was logical that the Doctor would want to trade secrets for his life, not that it would do him any good.

"Tell us the secrets and you may live" lied the Leader.

The Doctor pulled several pieces of Validium from the pouches. This living metal had the consistency of playdough, so the Doctor just mashed it all together in a ball. He walked over and gave it to the Cyberleader.

"That is Validium, known as the living metal" stated the Doctor.

The Cyberleader examined the lump of Validium and then crush it with his metal fist.

"What benefit is a metal that can be so easily crushed? What is its function" questioned the Cybermen.

"Its functions are infinite. In the Dark Time, it was mainly used as a weapon, programed for nothing but destruction. Now, Validium is used for many other things. With just this amount of Validium, you can grow just about anything; a candle, a computer, even a TARDIS with the right amount of care. Of course the only downside is that when Validium reaches a certain critical mass the substances becomes unstable" explained the Doctor.

"How unstable" demanded the Cyberleader?

In the Cyberleader's eagerness to learn the secrets of the Time Lords, he and his men failed to notice the Doctor pull the last of the Validium from the pouches.

"Well then, let us find out" said the Doctor, in triumph!

With the speed of a coiled snake, the Doctor whip out his lump Validium and smashed it against the Validium that the Cyberleader had held in his proffered hand. The two lumps of Validium seemed to stick to each other and meld into a single piece of metal. It immediately began to pulsate and glow with a white blinding light. Letting go of the lump of Validium, the Doctor began to run for cover, taking advantage of the distracted Cybermen. The Doctor leaped into an empty alleyway just in time as the Validium released a jet of pure energy which vaporised the Cybermen and everything in a five metre radius. The Doctor stuck his head around the corner of the alley and goggled at what he had done. He had just fooled five Cybermen and wiped them from the face of Gallifrey. Although the Doctor had a nasty suspicion that he hadn't seen the last of the Cybermen.

XXXXX

In the dark depths of the Citadel, was a black throne room. The lights burned blue and was surrounding by grey stone with a throne at the centre. On this throne, below a carving of a black hourglass, sat the Tempest General; garbed in gold and black armour, similar to Earth Medieval armour, except slightly more postmodern. A single Tempest knight approached the throne. He bowed and stood to attention in front of the Tempest General.

"Report" order the General.

"The plan has failed. The Doctor lives" reported the Knight.

The General slammed his fist against the arm rest of his throne in frustration.

"Damn! How hard can it be to kill a retrograde" demanded the General?

"The Doctor is a worthy opponent. You were wrong to underestimate him" stated the Knight, in mild reprove.

The General didn't respond well to criticism, especially from his subordinate.

"I need no lectures from you, whelp! The Doctor is a worm but he is in my way. So he must be eliminated from the equation" shouted the General.

The Knight nodded in respect.

"Perhaps, but to what purpose? The Tempest Revolution is nigh. Soon we will have complete control of time and the Doctor's investigation will amount to nothing" stated the Knight.

The General thought this over and came to agree.

"This is true, after we wash away the impotent quorum of Time Lords, the Doctor will mean nothing. Have the final preparations put into place. The Revolution shall begin tomorrow"!

**I thought it interesting that the First Doctor in the Tenth Planet seemed to know all about the Cybermen before they invaded Earth. So I decided to give an explanation in this chapter. Plus I thought adding the Cybermen would make things interesting. Kudos to all those readers who picked up all the references to previous Cyberman episodes, I think I covered them all in this chapter. **


End file.
